Three sets of human remains were discovered at the Alamo by an archaeological exploration connected to a major renovation of the revered Texas shrine, state officials said Friday.
“The remains encountered appear to be indicative of a teenage or young adult, infant, and large adult,” a news release from the General Land Office said.
After the discovery, excavation of the site was halted, the release said.
Workers discovered the remains while work was being done in the Monks Burial Room and nave of the Alamo Church in San Antonio, the Land Office said. The nave is the central part of a church.
The remains of the infant and the adult were discovered during the week of Thanksgiving and archaeologists determined that they had been purposely buried there, said Karina Erickson, a Land Office spokeswoman.
The remains of the teen or young adult were discovered Dec. 3 in the Monks Burial Room, but it was not immediately clear whether the remains were formally buried, Erickson said.
None of the remains have been removed, Erickson said.
The findings come as an organization called the Alamo Defenders Descendants Association is asking a state to order an “in-depth and comprehensive archaeological investigation” of the grounds surrounding the historic mission in San Antonio and DNA testing on any human remains that are discovered.
The Land Office assumed oversight of the revered site of the March 6, 1836, battle in the War for Texas with Mexico. The agency, along with an organization called Alamo Trust Inc., are overseeing the planned $450 million Alamo restoration project and said “all applicable laws and procedures” will be followed during the handling of the remains.
In October, the Land Office said that during the summer, human bone fragments were found by excavators inside the Alamo. At the time, the state agency said efforts were being made to determine if additional human remains were on the shrine’s property.
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Source: USA Today
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