Newswise — (July 27, 2016) -- Members of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Center for Archaeological Research have teamed up with other archaeologists to study the Alamo and its grounds as part of the process to develop a master plan for the historic landmark.
“The Center for Archaeological Research has more than 40 years of experience working at the San Antonio Missions and other Spanish colonial sites around town so our organization and team members have a tremendous amount of expertise working on sites like this,” said Shawn Marceaux, director of the UTSA Center for Archaeological Research (CAR).
Marceaux says the UTSA center specializes in site documentation, artifact analysis and curation, and the staff’s work will help researchers in the future.
He along with a team of top-tier UTSA staff and graduate students are part of this historic dig. José Zapata, Clint McKenzie, Jason Perez, Cindy Munoz and Sarah Wigley have been working on the Alamo grounds with an archaeological team led by Pape-Dawson Engineers since last week.
The Alamo Master Plan Management Committee selected Preservation Design Partnership to lead the master planning effort. The purpose of this work is to develop a new vision for the historic site
The archaeologists discovered adobe brick, European ceramics, metal artifacts and even glass from the Spanish Colonial period. Additional ceramics, called Goliad ware, which were produced by Native Americans, were also found.
Marceaux says after artifacts are recovered it is the archaeologist’s job to determine the history of that object and share its story. The UTSA team will be out working on the Alamo grounds for the next few weeks.
The UTSA Center for Archaeological Research was established in 1974 to conduct research and carry out archaeological excavations for federal, state and local agencies, and provide students with training opportunities. The Center’s research activities include prehistoric sites, Spanish colonial missions, churches, forts, and early Texas settlements.
The UTSA staff has conducted numerous archaeological field investigations in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Mexico and South America. The center’s archaeological laboratory, located on the UTSA Main Campus, has complete facilities for preparing, processing, analyzing, and curating archeological collections.
The Legacy Program, another important part of the Center’s mission, is an educational outreach program that provides information about archaeology and historic preservation to San Antonio students, teachers and the general public.
By Kara MirelesPublic Affairs Specialist
RSS