Archaeological investigations of the Porvenir Massacre, Presidio County, Texas

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Porvenir Massacre of 1918 was one of the darkest chapters in U.S.-Mexico relations during the bloody Mexican Revolution of 1910. It was an episode that saw fifteen men and boys of Mexican descent murdered in front of a low rock bluff on the U.S. side of the border. In spite of a military and a Texas Congressional investigation, no criminal charges were ever filed and the location of the massacre was lost to time. For nearly a century, major questions surrounding the incident remained unanswered. In 2015, an archaeological investigation confirmed the alleged location of the massacre site and determined that both civilian and military ammunition was used. This project represents the first and only archaeological examination of this important site and challenges the long-standing historical record in presenting material evidence that suggests U.S. military involvement.