The historical archeologist Ivor Noël Hume once remarked that archeology was “the handmaiden to history,” often used merely to confirm the written record. The presenters in Beneath Our Boots argue otherwise. This session offers four case studies that illustrate how archeology provides its own essential perspective on Texas’s past—one that expands and sometimes complicates the narratives found in documents.
Topics range from rediscovering the long-lost grave of Texas Ranger James Coryell, to reinterpreting the remnants of the U.S. Army’s “Camel Corps” experiment at Camp Verde, to uncovering how archeological research shapes interpretation at San Felipe de Austin, and finally to revisiting Mission San Lorenzo, one of the last Spanish missions in Texas. Together, these projects reveal how archeological and historical evidence—when read together—challenge assumptions, uncover new insights, and engage the public in understanding more than 300 years of Texas history.
Session Chair: Bradford M. Jones, Texas Historical Commission
