Archaeological Monitoring of Electrical Conduit and Drainage Pipe Trenching at Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Abstract

Over the course of five days in July of 2012, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted archaeological monitoring of the excavation of trenches in front of the church and convento at Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo. The project was conducted under the Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 6295. Lynn K. Wack served as Project Archaeologist, and Dr. Steve A. Tomka served as Principal Investigator. The trenches were intended for the installation of new electrical conduit, and they were approximately 15.24 cm (6 in.) in width and extended to a depth of 30.5 cm (12 in.) below the surface. One trench also was excavated for the installation of drainage pipes. This trench was approximately 55.28 cm (22 in.) wide and 30.5 cm (12 in.) deep. Two features (F-1 and F-2) and one isolated bone fragment were encountered during the course of the excavation of the drainage trench. The isolated fragment was collected to determine whether it was human or not. Upon reaching the conclusion that it was human, it was bagged and released to Susan Snow, archaeologist for the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Subsequently, the skeletal fragment was replaced into the same trench where it was encountered.