SAN ANTONIO — For archaeologists at The Alamo, lightning has officially struck twice. Researchers have uncovered a second intact cannonball dating back to the iconic 1836 Battle of the Alamo. This remarkable discovery comes just months after the first artifact was found, marking an incredibly rare excavation streak at the historic site.
The latest artifact was unearthed on June 2, 2026, during ongoing excavations near the northeast corner of the Alamo Church. Remarkably, it was found in almost the exact same area where the first cannonball surfaced on March 5—just ahead of the battle’s 190th anniversary. Both objects were embedded at similar depths within what experts call undisturbed soil layers.
“A cannonball is maybe a once-in-a-lifetime—or in my case, a twice-in-a-lifetime—discovery. It’s really exciting,” said Dr. Tiffany Lindley, the Alamo’s Director of Archaeology. “It’s the best job in the world.”
A Tale of Two Materials: Iron vs. Bronze
While the cannonball discovered in March was crafted from solid bronze, the newly found artifact is made of solid iron. Despite the difference in composition, both items are nearly identical in size and weight. Researchers believe they may have been fired from opposing sides during the historic 1836 siege.
| Artifact | Material | Likely Origin | Estimated Weapon |
| First Find (March) | Solid Bronze | Mexican Army | TBD |
| Second Find (June) | Solid Iron | Texan Forces | 6-pound cannon |
Dr. Lindley emphasized that both items were recovered from a “clean deposit”—a term used to describe soil layers that have remained completely untouched over time.
“What that tells us is that they were likely in their original deposition,” Lindley explained. “So whenever they were dropped for the very first time—possibly, probably in 1836—they haven’t been touched since. And that’s what makes them extra special.”
Unlocking History
The cannonballs are currently undergoing detailed analysis alongside other materials recovered during the church preservation and site redevelopment project.
According to Kolby Lanham, the Alamo’s senior researcher and historian, early analysis suggests the new iron projectile was likely fired from a six-pound cannon.
“Though the cannonballs are of different materials and weigh roughly the same, the newest one is slightly larger and likely was fired from a six-pound cannon,” Lanham said. “The likelihood is that the bronze one belonged to the Mexican Army and the iron one belonged to the Texans at some point.”
Lanham added that both artifacts perfectly match the weaponry documented during the Siege and Battle of the Alamo. However, teams are still cross-referencing soil context and historical records to finalize their origins.
“The first one we found, I thought, there’s no way in the world we just found a cannonball from 190 years ago. And then fast forward just a couple of months, and we found a second one,” Lanham reflected. “It’s just a huge kind of once-in-a-lifetime deal—but obviously, it’s happened twice.”
