Stretching back more than 10,000 years, Texas history began long before Texas was Texas. From early Native American tribes and their (much) later European counterparts to Texans in the White House and on the moon, there’s a lot to learn about Texas.
Travel throughout the state without leaving your armchair by reading the THC’s publication, The Medallion, or plan your Texas trips by region or by theme with THC’s travel guides and brochures.
Publications
The documents in this section are free whether downloading or ordering a printed copy. Some technical publications are available for sale from the archeology booklist. For alternate formats of information or pdf documents on this web site, please contact us at 512.463.6255.
Please use our publications request form to order our free publications.
Careers in Preservation
Positions exist at all levels of government, nonprofit organizations, and private firms whose main mission or service is historic preservation.
Many state agencies involved in housing, community development, transportation, and other services hire people with preservation backgrounds. The same goes for thousands of private firms engaged in design, development, finance, and other aspects of creating and changing the physical environment.
Spotlight:
Archeologist
An archeologist is a scientist who studies past peoples and cultures by excavating and examining material remains as simple as an arrowpoint or as complex as the ruins of a prehistoric village. Archeologists are interested in animal bones, plant remains, and certain stone materials when these things occur at archeological sites and have a clear relationship to human activity. Natural features such as rock shelters, caverns and sinkholes may interest archeologists if they were used or lived in by humans.
The Texas Historical Commission Library
The THC library in the historic Gethsemane Lutheran Church building houses a unique collection that makes it a one-of-a-kind facility for agency staff, outside professionals, and citizens interested in history, archeology, and preservation. The library is open to the public by appointment only. The collection is non-circulating.
The collection reflects the agency's historic preservation mission. It contains approximately 5,000 publications, including about 3,000 books, most of which focus on some aspect of Texas' rich heritage.
