Posts About archeology

October is Texas Archeology Month, the time we celebrate the science and history of past cultures. But what is archeology? A traditional definition of archeology is the scientific study of material remains of past human life and activities. When we think of archeology, we often picture ancient civilizations that left little to no written record of their history. But there is an entire...

THC's Historic Sites, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site | archeology

By Amy A. Borgens, THC State Marine Archeologist 

In late 2018, a fisherman was casting a line off the South Texas coast when he noticed a distinctive shape emerging from the water at low tide. He immediately notified the Texas Historical Commission’s (THC) Archeology Division, which dispatched staff the next day to identify and document the discovery.

The object was a 20-foot-...

The Medallion | Stories of Texas History, archeology, marine archeology

Remnants of Boca Chica shipwreck

By Amy Borgens and Sarah Linden, THC Marine Archeology Program staff                                 

In a prior blog, Marine Archeology Program (MAP) staff described the types of archeological sites located in coastal public areas and waterways. These amazing finds are often vulnerable to man-made impacts, vandalism, and looting despite the protections specified in the Antiquities...

Archeology | marine archeology, archeology

Mansfield Cut, South Jetty

By Sarah Linden, THC Marine Archeologist

Most Texans know the best way to cool down from the heat is to grab some sunscreen and hit the beach or float down one of our beautiful rivers. Texas boasts 367 linear miles of coastline and 1,500 square miles of river bottoms. These waters have been historically utilized to transport people, goods, and culture for hundreds of years. There are...

Archeology | archeology, marine archeology, artifact

USS Houston

By Amy Borgens, State Marine Archeologist

The 600-foot Northampton-class cruiser USS Houston was sunk by the Japanese Navy during World War II on March 1, 1942 during the Battle of Sunda Strait off Indonesia. The sunken ship served as an unintentional grave for many of the more than 700 sailors and marines that perished in the tragedy.  Of the 1,061 crew on board, only 368 survived,...

Archeology | marine archeology, shipwreck, archeology

Brass cannon from La Belle

By Eliot Stone, THC Heritage Tourism Specialist

Beneath the vaulted, hull-like ceiling of the THC’s library in Austin, Jim Bruseth cast his gaze askance as if reconsidering the course of the story he had already begun to tell. Bruseth—our former Archeology Division Director who discovered and excavated the remains of La Salle’s ship, La Belle, in Matagorda Bay—visited the THC in...

Heritage Travel | La Salle, La Belle, museums, marine archeology, heritage travel, archeology

Children's archeology table at Ocean Discovery Day

By Amy Borgens and Sarah Linden, THC Marine Archeology Program staff

Earlier this spring, we traveled to Galveston to team up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) for the 10th annual family-centered event “Ocean Discovery Day.” The event is designed to introduce visitors to the variety of marine...

Archeology | marine archeology, archeology

Remains of the Colwick House

By Becky Shelton, THC Regional Archeologist

On a clear, cool day in early December 2015, months of research and planning came together at the 19th century Cleng Peerson Farm-Colwick Farmstead in Bosque County. What had started as a seemingly simple inquiry to the THC's History Programs Division turned into an amazing journey of discovery that united two communities from across the...

Archeology | National Register, Texas Archeological Stewardship Network, archeology

Archeologist working with artifacts

By Jeff Durst, THC Archeology Reviewer

As one of the oldest regional archeological societies in the state—established in 1959—the Houston Archeological Society (HAS) has seen a constant ebb and flow in membership through the years. But the organization is currently experiencing a true renaissance.

With a strong core of members devoted to keeping the organization alive, its...

The Medallion | archeology

Model of La Belle

By Pat Mercado-Allinger, THC Archeology Division Director and State Archeologist

This season, THC staff is expressing our gratitude to the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, a nonprofit organization that assists our agency with our mission to identify, preserve, and protect Texas history. By raising private funds, the Friends of the THC has enabled many projects that could not...

Archeology | archeology