The Alamo Dig began on July 20 and has already unearthed a number of historical artifacts. The team, led by Pape-Dawson Engineers Senior Archaeologist Nesta Anderson, spent two weeks prepping two sites as outlined in the Alamo Plaza’s multi-million dollar master plan.
Daily briefings have yielded exciting news over the past few weeks: a mere five days in, archaeologists found adobe bricks belonging to a Spanish colonial wall. On Aug. 1, Anderson announced the discovery of more than 300 artifacts, among them pieces of ceramic – some locally produced, others assumed to be European– and fragments of glass – one of them stamped ‘San Antonio Apothecary.’
The ceramics and glass will undergo a lengthy process of cleaning and analysis before being prepared for curation and put on public display at the University of Texas San Antonio Center for Archaeological Research. The bricks and the earth they were buried in will be sampled to determine the wall’s function or if the site was once a dwelling.
“It is an exciting time to be a fan of Texas history and archaeological discovery,” said Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush who is serving as Alamo Master Plan Executive Committee co-chair.
The dig is expected to continue through the end of August or early September, depending on the nature and number of discoveries made.
(Read more: George P. Bush Visits Alamo Dig Site Amid Archaeological Discovery, Alamo Plaza Dig Unearths Artifacts, Archaeologists Find Adobe Bricks at Alamo Plaza, Alamo Plaza Dig Day One: The Search Begins, After More ‘Homework,’ Alamo Plaza Archaeological Dig Will Begin)
Image ©John Branch for the Rivard Report, 2016.
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