Archaeological Monitoring of Utilities Installations at Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Abstract

Over the course of six days in May of 2011, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted archaeological monitoring of the excavation of trenches within the church and convento at Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo. The project was conducted under the Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 5955. Kristi Miller Ulrich served as Project Archaeologist, and Dr. Steve A. Tomka served as Principal Investigator. The trenches were intended for the installation of new utility and gas lines, and they were approximately 12 in. (30.5 cm) in width and extended to a depth of 12 to 16 in. (30.5 to 40.64 cm) below the surface. Seven clusters of disarticulated human remains were encountered during the course of the excavations. These were collected and returned to the CAR laboratory for inventory. Given that the remains came from within the church proper and that an agreement exists between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Catholic Archdiocese for the reburial of human remains, after identification, inventory, and packaging, the remains were reinterred by Fr. Tony Posadas in one location within the church.