Post by bmoses on Nov 23, 2007 14:42:03 GMT -5
Co-Directors Anne Fox and Fred Valdez
Site map showing the area of archaeological investigations of the1988 field school.
In June and July of 1988, some 30 University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) students joined professional archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research, UTSA, during excavations on Alamo Plaza. The work was planned and carried out in advance of renovation work around Alamo Plaza. Archaeological excavations were centered on the area of fortifications just outside of the main gate on the compound’s south side. Located between the cenotaph and gazebo, the project was adjacent to areas excavated during the 1975 Alamo Plaza excavations. The 1988 excavations sought to answer questions regarding the south gate, the low barracks, and the lunette.
Initially, a backhoe was use to scrape away the overburden which consisted largely of late 19th century fill material associated with the construction of the plaza. After approximately 80cm of fill was removed, archaeologists reached what was believed to have been the original plaza level, and the 1975 excavation trenches were clearly visible. A grid of units was then laid out across the area and specific units were selected to begin excavations.
Archaeologists and students used trowels, whisk brooms and picks to carefully dig inside the wide pit, with each centimeter bringing them closer to 1836. The excavations were carried out using arbitrary 20 cm levels. The nature of the deposits inside the lunette fill was soon revealed as numerous thin lenses of redeposited soils were encountered. Some of these ashy layers contained artifacts while others were relatively sterile. In general, areas in the north-south portions of the trench and closer to the low barracks contained higher concentrations of artifacts than areas near the southern bend in the trench. It was discovered that the original lunette trench had been excavated into a natural caliche formation. Original tools marks were still present on the face of the trench. Fill materials inside the trenches consisted of a relatively loose ashy matrix of soils finely-crossbeded in fine lamella. Unfortunately, it appears that all above-ground portions of the lunette feature appeared to have been removed after the battle.
Area of fieldschool excavations prior to beginning of the project.
Project area after initial overburden was removed by backhoe.
Plan view of excavation area as reported in CAR Report ASR # 205 by Anne Fox in 1992.
The lunette trench was also found to extend further south than predicted. While some features of the lunette had been revealed in during the 1975 excavations, a much larger portion of the lunette was exposed during the 1988 work. The trench itself was found to have a relatively flat bottom and fairly symmetrical sides. The lunette was formed with five outer faces and extended almost 16 meters to the south before angling back toward the southwest. The feature was estimated to be about 10 meters wide (east-west) by about 20 meters long (north-south). The walls of the trench sloped inward more on the inside near the southern bend of the lunette. The depth of the trench below the 1836 surface could not be determined because that surface was no longer present in the area of the south gate. However, the elevation of the bottom of the lunette was estimated to be one meter (about 3 feet and 3 inches) below what was thought to be the surface level of Alamo Plaza around 1850.
Approximately nine meters south of the planter wall an unusual jog toward the east in the trench fill was noticed. Additional excavation units were added to investigate this anomaly and a second trench feature was found to extend toward the southeast corner of the low barracks structure. More units were placed toward the east and cultural materials (ceramics, lithics, etc.) were found to lessen with distance from the area of the south gate.
At the northwest corner of the excavated area, an anomaly described as a “triangular-shaped mass of caliche” was uncovered under the south wall of the planter. The feature was described by archaeologists as likely being the footer of the triangular projection on the east edge of the gateway. This detail shows up on several maps of the Alamo compound including those by Everett (1848) and Hughes (1850). An attempt was made to extend the excavation unit to the north and under the planter but archaeologists discovered that much of the area had been previously disturbed by the footing of the planter.
A 3x5 meter area was also investigated in the central portion of the lunette. Although an area of modern disturbance was recorded, it was limited to the northern portion of the excavation block and appeared to have originated from a backhoe trench excavated sometime after 1950. A number of postholes were also uncovered. Two 10-cm postholes were located to the east and a tightly grouped row of seven posts extended toward the west. It was unclear from the limited area investigated whether these posts were a part of a palisade structure or some other feature related to the cannons.
Toward the end of the project, excavations still had not identified the beginning of the curve in the lunette trench. Archaeologist and backhoe operator Mike Fulghum was called in to scrape away the overburden. The project was ultimately extended an extra day to investigate the feature in the southwest corner. Trees in the plaza had proved to be a substantial impediment to excavations and a large Live Oak in the south ended the tracing of the lunette.
Shortly after the field school ended in July of 1988, a second part of the lunette trench was revealed when CAR archaeologist Wayne Cox monitored utility trench excavations in Alamo Street. The north-south trench bisected the lunette on the west side of the feature and exposed the lunette trench at the southwestern end. Like the east side of the lunette trench, the western portion was found to be intact and its location confirmed the size and shape of the feature. A small portion of the wall of the low barracks was also found in the trench profile and was in line with portions of the structure’s wall uncovered during the 1975 excavations.
The overall shape of the lunette was found to correspond fairly well with maps drawn by Mexican officers José Sanchez-Navarro and Ygnacio de LaBastida shortly after the battle. The structures around the south gate were probably constructed around 1808 by the Compañia Volante who were stationed at the Alamo at that time. The stone structures of the low barracks are thought to have been about 17 feet high. Besides the gateway itself, there were two rooms east of the gateway (hospital or soldier’s quarters) and one room to the west (the guard house or jail).
Historic maps of the south gate/lunette area by Mexican officers in 1836.
The debate as to who oversaw the construction of the lunette, General Cós in 1835 or Jameson in 1836, was put to rest when archaeologists unearthed a metal plate from a military shako just above the bottom of the trench. The cap badge, stamped with the insignia of the Morelos Permanente Battalion, was lying face down in the bottom of the lunette trench and was covered with a thin layer of dirt probably deposited soon after the feature was completed. This find confirmed the accounts that showed that the Morelos Permanente Battalion, along with the Alamo de Parras and Béxar cavalry, carried out the fortification of the Alamo under direction of General Cós and Governor Ugartechea in December of 1835. The Morelos Permanente Battalion returned to Mexico after the Siege of Béxar and was not present during the battle of the Alamo.
A large number of artifacts were unearthed during the 1988 excavations and the vast majority of these were recovered from the fill material of the lunette trench. Many of the artifacts recovered from the upper levels of the lunette trench predated the Mexican period and were likely first unearthed during the excavation of the defensive trench in 1835. These materials were likely shoveled back into the ditch on May 22, 1836 and were thus jumbled into the fill of the ditch. Several artifact classes were represented including ceramics, lithics, personal items, household items, kitchenware and workshop artifacts. A large number of military artifacts were also recovered including six gun flints, eleven lead balls and several shell fragments. Shell fragments included several bronze shell fragments and a lead plug probably from a howitzer shell. Several military buttons of pewter and brass were also present in the fill of the lunette trench.
Two years of excavations were ultimately carried out in the area of the south gate. The first in 1975 had relocated the walls and foundation of the low barracks structure and gave an initial glimpse at the lunette trench. Archaeological work during the 1988 field school revealed the extent of the lunette and offered tantalizing clues about its layout. Portions of the lunette trench are still believed to remain under Alamo Street. One other surprising find was the discovery of a mysterious mortar and stone foundation some 30 feet south of the main gate and almost four feet below the modern surface. There are no records of structures in that area, but it is possible that the feature predates the construction of the low barracks. Archaeologist Anne Fox said it was disappointing not to have enough time to discover more about the foundation uncovered near the end of the project.
But numerous questions remain about the fortifications in the area of the south gate. How do the postholes uncovered during the 1988 excavations relate to the function of the military feature? And what information has been lost due to earlier landscaping and trenching activities in the area? The actual 1835 surface in this area is gone, scraped away in the years following the 1835 battle.
One of the main lessons learned from the work of the 1988 field school was that more remains of the battle era site than was previously believed. The question remains: what clues to the function of the lunette and gateway lay just beyond the areas of the 1975 and 1988 archaeological investigation?
Reconstructed location of the lunette trench on a modern (2005) aerial.
Excavation units in progress during the summer field school.
Project director Anne Fox discussing the progress of excavations with a San Antonio city official.
An area for screening was set up just to the east of the excavation area.
Profile drawings of the lunette trench.
A photograph of the lunette trench shown in profile.
Site map showing the area of archaeological investigations of the1988 field school.
In June and July of 1988, some 30 University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) students joined professional archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research, UTSA, during excavations on Alamo Plaza. The work was planned and carried out in advance of renovation work around Alamo Plaza. Archaeological excavations were centered on the area of fortifications just outside of the main gate on the compound’s south side. Located between the cenotaph and gazebo, the project was adjacent to areas excavated during the 1975 Alamo Plaza excavations. The 1988 excavations sought to answer questions regarding the south gate, the low barracks, and the lunette.
Initially, a backhoe was use to scrape away the overburden which consisted largely of late 19th century fill material associated with the construction of the plaza. After approximately 80cm of fill was removed, archaeologists reached what was believed to have been the original plaza level, and the 1975 excavation trenches were clearly visible. A grid of units was then laid out across the area and specific units were selected to begin excavations.
Archaeologists and students used trowels, whisk brooms and picks to carefully dig inside the wide pit, with each centimeter bringing them closer to 1836. The excavations were carried out using arbitrary 20 cm levels. The nature of the deposits inside the lunette fill was soon revealed as numerous thin lenses of redeposited soils were encountered. Some of these ashy layers contained artifacts while others were relatively sterile. In general, areas in the north-south portions of the trench and closer to the low barracks contained higher concentrations of artifacts than areas near the southern bend in the trench. It was discovered that the original lunette trench had been excavated into a natural caliche formation. Original tools marks were still present on the face of the trench. Fill materials inside the trenches consisted of a relatively loose ashy matrix of soils finely-crossbeded in fine lamella. Unfortunately, it appears that all above-ground portions of the lunette feature appeared to have been removed after the battle.
Area of fieldschool excavations prior to beginning of the project.
Project area after initial overburden was removed by backhoe.
Plan view of excavation area as reported in CAR Report ASR # 205 by Anne Fox in 1992.
The lunette trench was also found to extend further south than predicted. While some features of the lunette had been revealed in during the 1975 excavations, a much larger portion of the lunette was exposed during the 1988 work. The trench itself was found to have a relatively flat bottom and fairly symmetrical sides. The lunette was formed with five outer faces and extended almost 16 meters to the south before angling back toward the southwest. The feature was estimated to be about 10 meters wide (east-west) by about 20 meters long (north-south). The walls of the trench sloped inward more on the inside near the southern bend of the lunette. The depth of the trench below the 1836 surface could not be determined because that surface was no longer present in the area of the south gate. However, the elevation of the bottom of the lunette was estimated to be one meter (about 3 feet and 3 inches) below what was thought to be the surface level of Alamo Plaza around 1850.
Approximately nine meters south of the planter wall an unusual jog toward the east in the trench fill was noticed. Additional excavation units were added to investigate this anomaly and a second trench feature was found to extend toward the southeast corner of the low barracks structure. More units were placed toward the east and cultural materials (ceramics, lithics, etc.) were found to lessen with distance from the area of the south gate.
At the northwest corner of the excavated area, an anomaly described as a “triangular-shaped mass of caliche” was uncovered under the south wall of the planter. The feature was described by archaeologists as likely being the footer of the triangular projection on the east edge of the gateway. This detail shows up on several maps of the Alamo compound including those by Everett (1848) and Hughes (1850). An attempt was made to extend the excavation unit to the north and under the planter but archaeologists discovered that much of the area had been previously disturbed by the footing of the planter.
A 3x5 meter area was also investigated in the central portion of the lunette. Although an area of modern disturbance was recorded, it was limited to the northern portion of the excavation block and appeared to have originated from a backhoe trench excavated sometime after 1950. A number of postholes were also uncovered. Two 10-cm postholes were located to the east and a tightly grouped row of seven posts extended toward the west. It was unclear from the limited area investigated whether these posts were a part of a palisade structure or some other feature related to the cannons.
Toward the end of the project, excavations still had not identified the beginning of the curve in the lunette trench. Archaeologist and backhoe operator Mike Fulghum was called in to scrape away the overburden. The project was ultimately extended an extra day to investigate the feature in the southwest corner. Trees in the plaza had proved to be a substantial impediment to excavations and a large Live Oak in the south ended the tracing of the lunette.
Shortly after the field school ended in July of 1988, a second part of the lunette trench was revealed when CAR archaeologist Wayne Cox monitored utility trench excavations in Alamo Street. The north-south trench bisected the lunette on the west side of the feature and exposed the lunette trench at the southwestern end. Like the east side of the lunette trench, the western portion was found to be intact and its location confirmed the size and shape of the feature. A small portion of the wall of the low barracks was also found in the trench profile and was in line with portions of the structure’s wall uncovered during the 1975 excavations.
The overall shape of the lunette was found to correspond fairly well with maps drawn by Mexican officers José Sanchez-Navarro and Ygnacio de LaBastida shortly after the battle. The structures around the south gate were probably constructed around 1808 by the Compañia Volante who were stationed at the Alamo at that time. The stone structures of the low barracks are thought to have been about 17 feet high. Besides the gateway itself, there were two rooms east of the gateway (hospital or soldier’s quarters) and one room to the west (the guard house or jail).
Historic maps of the south gate/lunette area by Mexican officers in 1836.
The debate as to who oversaw the construction of the lunette, General Cós in 1835 or Jameson in 1836, was put to rest when archaeologists unearthed a metal plate from a military shako just above the bottom of the trench. The cap badge, stamped with the insignia of the Morelos Permanente Battalion, was lying face down in the bottom of the lunette trench and was covered with a thin layer of dirt probably deposited soon after the feature was completed. This find confirmed the accounts that showed that the Morelos Permanente Battalion, along with the Alamo de Parras and Béxar cavalry, carried out the fortification of the Alamo under direction of General Cós and Governor Ugartechea in December of 1835. The Morelos Permanente Battalion returned to Mexico after the Siege of Béxar and was not present during the battle of the Alamo.
A large number of artifacts were unearthed during the 1988 excavations and the vast majority of these were recovered from the fill material of the lunette trench. Many of the artifacts recovered from the upper levels of the lunette trench predated the Mexican period and were likely first unearthed during the excavation of the defensive trench in 1835. These materials were likely shoveled back into the ditch on May 22, 1836 and were thus jumbled into the fill of the ditch. Several artifact classes were represented including ceramics, lithics, personal items, household items, kitchenware and workshop artifacts. A large number of military artifacts were also recovered including six gun flints, eleven lead balls and several shell fragments. Shell fragments included several bronze shell fragments and a lead plug probably from a howitzer shell. Several military buttons of pewter and brass were also present in the fill of the lunette trench.
Two years of excavations were ultimately carried out in the area of the south gate. The first in 1975 had relocated the walls and foundation of the low barracks structure and gave an initial glimpse at the lunette trench. Archaeological work during the 1988 field school revealed the extent of the lunette and offered tantalizing clues about its layout. Portions of the lunette trench are still believed to remain under Alamo Street. One other surprising find was the discovery of a mysterious mortar and stone foundation some 30 feet south of the main gate and almost four feet below the modern surface. There are no records of structures in that area, but it is possible that the feature predates the construction of the low barracks. Archaeologist Anne Fox said it was disappointing not to have enough time to discover more about the foundation uncovered near the end of the project.
But numerous questions remain about the fortifications in the area of the south gate. How do the postholes uncovered during the 1988 excavations relate to the function of the military feature? And what information has been lost due to earlier landscaping and trenching activities in the area? The actual 1835 surface in this area is gone, scraped away in the years following the 1835 battle.
One of the main lessons learned from the work of the 1988 field school was that more remains of the battle era site than was previously believed. The question remains: what clues to the function of the lunette and gateway lay just beyond the areas of the 1975 and 1988 archaeological investigation?
Reconstructed location of the lunette trench on a modern (2005) aerial.
Excavation units in progress during the summer field school.
Project director Anne Fox discussing the progress of excavations with a San Antonio city official.
An area for screening was set up just to the east of the excavation area.
Profile drawings of the lunette trench.
A photograph of the lunette trench shown in profile.
