SAN ANTONIO – The tip of a Mexican sword known as a briquette and known to be carried by Mexican infantry, has been found by archaeologists working near the Alamo, officials said.
An archaeological study of the Alamo grounds is being conducted. It's the first study of its kind to be completed on the site.
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Historian Sam Nesmith said he believes, based on the breakage pattern and the torquing of the sword, that it might have been used between October 1835 and February 1836. He said it was likely used in Mexican Gen. Martin Perfecto de Cos' fortification and construction of the lunette or some other feature related to the fortification at the south gate of the Alamo.
Nesmith said there's a possibility that the sword could have been used during the Battle of the Alamo, but he believes it's more likely to have been used during the fortification of the Alamo.
A similar sword tip was found in 2007 during an excavation of Main Plaza, where de Cos' troops dug an entrenchment in December 1835.
Officials said the purpose of the archaeological study is to determine the location of the structural limits of the compound's walls and how the landscape of the site has shifted over time.
Archaeologists said they hope to find the exact location of the south and west walls of the Alamo.