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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The community of Florence in Williamson County is |
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home to the Gault Archaeological Site, one of the oldest known |
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places of human habitation in North America; and |
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WHEREAS, The earliest presence of humans at the Gault site |
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has been dated to between 16,000 and 20,000 years ago, and artifacts |
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recovered there show a near-continuous occupation of the area by 23 |
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ancient cultures over the centuries; and |
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WHEREAS, Located in a valley along Buttermilk Creek, the site |
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proved an ideal place for settlement since it offered ancient |
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peoples an extraordinary combination of water, plentiful food, and |
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large amounts of Edwards chert, a type of stone used to fashion |
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tools; and |
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WHEREAS, Archaeological research being conducted at the |
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Gault site is enabling anthropologists to gain a better |
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understanding of the early inhabitants of North America and to |
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develop new theories about when and how the continent was first |
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populated by humans; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to being one of the oldest |
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archaeological sites in North America, the Gault site is all the |
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more unique for being located near a contemporary community, the |
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city of Florence; and |
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WHEREAS, The Gault Archaeological Site is helping to rewrite |
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the history of the first peoples of the Americas, and the modern |
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citizens of Florence may indeed take great pride in their deep |
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connection to the earliest residents of the Lone Star State; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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3rd Called Session, hereby designate the city of Florence as the |
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oldest community in Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
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passed by the legislature. |