Archaeologists at the Alamo in San Antonio have uncovered a rare, fully intact four-pound bronze cannonball believed to have been fired during the 1836 Battle of the Alamo or the 13-day siege that preceded it.
The discovery was made March 5, 2026 — one day before the battle’s 190th anniversary — about three feet underground in an excavation unit near the northeast corner of the historic Alamo Church. The Alamo Trust archaeology team, led by Director Dr. Tiffany Lindley, found the solid projectile in a “clean deposit” of soil layers that clearly date to the battle era.
Experts say the cannonball was very likely fired by Mexican forces under General Antonio López de Santa Anna. Its bronze construction and solid design match artillery used during the siege and final assault on March 6, 1836. The find is one of the only intact solid cannonballs of its kind ever recovered at the site in its original location, giving historians fresh insight into how the battle unfolded around the church.
The Alamo Trust announced the discovery in mid-March after confirming the artifact with battlefield experts. In the past year, the team has also recovered four exploding shot fragments — three bronze and one iron — identified as Howitzer rounds from the same period.
The Alamo, a Spanish mission turned fortress, is one of Texas’ most visited historic sites and a symbol of the Texas Revolution. Ongoing archaeological work there supports long-term preservation efforts and helps tell a more complete story of the events that helped lead to Texas independence.
The cannonball has been carefully documented, conserved and will be studied further before eventual public display.
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Experts say the cannonball was very likely fired by Mexican forces under General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
