Alamo discovery: 3 bodies found beneath monks' burial room and church
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Archaeologists have discovered three burials at the historic Alamo site.
The finds were made during excavations of the Alamo monks' burial room and the nave of the church.
The Alamo is the site of one of the most famous battles in American history in which nearly 200 Alamo defenders were killed in March 1836 in a battle with Mexican forces during the fight for Texas independence from Mexico. The site in San Antonio was first established as a Spanish mission in 1744.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ALAMO DIG: ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH TIP OF MEXICAN SWORD
Experts were working around the Alamo church and the site’s Long Barrack to install moisture monitoring equipment and locate the foundations of the 300-year old structures when they made the discoveries.
The excavation of the monks' burial room. (The Alamo/Alamo Trust)
“The remains encountered appear to be indicative of a teenage or young adult, infant, and large adult,” explained the Texas General Land Office and the Alamo Mission Archaeological Advisory Committee in a statement. “Upon discovery of the remains, the long-established human remains protocol was activated, the on-site tribal monitor was notified, and excavation of the particular site was halted.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ARE ARCHAEOLOGISTS CLOSE TO FINDING THE ALAMO'S MAIN GATE?
FILE - In this March 6, 2013, file photo, John Potter, a member of the San Antonio Living History Association, patrols the Alamo in San Antonio, during a pre-dawn memorial ceremony to remember the 1836 Battle of the Alamo and those who fell on both sides. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
The Texas General Land Office told Fox News that while photos of the excavation project have been released, no pictures of the remains will be released out of respect for the deceased.
Remains were also found at the Alamo site in 1989 and 1995, according to the Texas General Land Office.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In 2016 archaeologists digging near the Alamo unearthed the broken tip of a Mexican soldier’s sword that may have been used in the famous 1836 battle.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers