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THE TAKEAWAY
- Four cannonballs were discovered beneath the grounds extracurricular the Alamo Church during an 18-month excavation.
- The bronze and robust artifacts whitethorn uncover which broadside fired the weapons during the 13-day siege.
- Archaeologists estimation that betwixt a full of 500,000 and 750,000 artifacts were unearthed during the project
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Everyone remembers the Alamo, but hidden relics from the legendary conflict remained buried beneath the historic battleground for astir 200 years, until archaeologists dug them up.
Archaeologists with The Alamo Trust unearthed 4 battle-era cannonballs during an 18-month excavation on the perimeter of the iconic Alamo Church.
The 3 cannonballs connected the near are made of bronze, and the 1 connected the close is made from iron.
(The Alamo Trust )
The religion is 1 of 2 surviving structures from the world-famous 1836 Battle of the Alamo and the tract of a large-scale excavation aimed astatine uncovering much of its history.
Alamo experts nexus each 4 projectiles to the pivotal 13-day Siege and Battle of the Alamo successful 1836, according to The Alamo Trust.
"Having a portion of past and holding it successful your hand, erstwhile the past idiosyncratic who touched this perchance died during the Battle, that carries a batch of affectional value to it," The Alamo's Director of Archaeology, Dr. Tiffany Lindley, said successful a press release.
The Alamo's archaeology squad is celebrating the uncommon discoveries of 4 solid-shot cannonballs unearthed during a year-and-a-half-long excavation task on the perimeter of the iconic Alamo Church, 1 of the 2 surviving structures from the world-famous Battle of the Alamo.
(The Alamo Trust )
Do you retrieve the Alamo?
The pivotal conflict is remembered done the celebrated rallying cry, but the 13-day siege was portion of a overmuch larger conflict implicit the aboriginal of Texas.
In 1835, the Texas Revolution began, with Mexican President and Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna sending troops to crush the uprising and retake San Antonio, wherever Texian forces occupied the Alamo.
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Mexican forces surrounded the ngo connected Feb. 23, 1836, and for 13 days, astir 200 Texian defenders held retired earlier Santa Anna’s service stormed the Alamo connected March 6, culminating successful the Battle of the Alamo.
Nearly each the defenders were killed, but their absorption became a rallying outcry for Texas independence: "Remember the Alamo!"
The 4 solid-shot cannonballs, arranged from largest to smallest.
(The Alamo Trust )
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A cannonball clip machine
According to the Alamo Trust, each 4 cannonballs were discovered extracurricular the northeast country of the Alamo Church, astir 2½ to 3 feet beneath the surface.
Based connected the surrounding ungraded layers, the types of cannonballs and the sizes of cannons known to person been contiguous during the Battle of the Alamo, Alamo historians judge the artifacts day to the 13-day siege and battle.
Dr. Lindley uses a bamboo instrumentality to mildly cleanable an robust cannonball.
(The Alamo Trust )
Using humanities context, the cannonballs connection clues astir who fired them, and who mightiness person been ducking for cover.
According to Alamo Trust historians, bronze cannonballs were typically utilized by the Mexican army, portion the robust cannonball is associated with the Texan side.
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The archetypal cannonball was recovered connected March 5, 2026 — 1 time earlier the 190th day of the battle. Made of bronze, it measures 2.97 inches successful diameter and corresponds to a 4-pounder cannon.
Dr. Lindley uses a brace of integer calipers to measurement the smallest cannonball.
(The Alamo Trust )
A 2nd cannonball, discovered successful June, is made of iron, measures 3.28 inches successful diameter and corresponds to a 6-pounder cannon.
The 3rd cannonball is bronze, measures 1.8 inches successful diameter and corresponds to a 1-pounder cannon. The 4th is besides bronze, measures 3.26 inches successful diameter and corresponds to a 6-pounder cannon.
Bringing backmost history
The Alamo squad has been digging heavy to bring the legendary battle’s past backmost to beingness astatine the iconic Texas landmark.
Members of the Alamo's archaeology squad connected the last time of digging this month.
(The Alamo Trust )
The excavation astir the Alamo Church began successful March 2025 and concluded successful October.
Dr. Lindley said the archaeology squad is inactive processing the discoveries but estimates that betwixt 500,000 and 750,000 artifacts were unearthed during the project.
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In summation to the cannonballs, archaeologists recovered mundane items, including a beverage kettle, forks, spoons and bottles, offering a broader glimpse into the lives of the radical connected to 1 of the defining moments successful Texas history.
The Alamo's archaeology squad sifts done soil.
(The Alamo Trust )
"The Battle was not conscionable an event," Dr. Lindley said. "These were people. They were individuals. They had lives earlier they came to the Battle. They had families that lived aft them. And remembering those individuals, that’s what important."
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