Archaeologists discover more than 150,000 historical artifacts near downtown Houston

PHOTOS: Texas Department of Transportation, along with members of the Texas Archeological Society, has discovered more than 150,000 artifacts near downtown Houston.

>>> See above for more on Frost Town and Palo Duro Canyon ... less PHOTOS: Texas Department of Transportation, along with members of the Texas Archeological Society, has discovered more than 150,000 artifacts near downtown Houston.

>>> See above for more on Frost ... more Photo: TxDOT And Prewitt & Associates, Inc Photo: TxDOT And Prewitt & Associates, Inc Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Archaeologists discover more than 150,000 historical artifacts near downtown Houston 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

The Texas Department of Transportation ( TxDOT) has discovered more than 150,000 artifacts near downtown Houston.

Excavations at Frost Town near Minute Maid Park were initiated in 2016 in association with the planned replacement of aging 1950's bridge structure, the Elysian Street Viaduct, TxDOT's Jason W. Barrett, PhD. told Chron.com.

Although the excavations were delayed through 2017, waiting for the bridge to be demolished, it was resumed and completed in 2018, Barrett said.

As well, a smaller project at Frost Town was completed in early 2019, in association with the North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP), which involves evaluation of the I-45 North corridor, according to the NHHIP website.

Deep-sea find: Rare sea life, including possibly new species discovered by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

Among the artifacts discovered in the area were several intact features including house foundations, cisterns, brick sidewalks, animal burials, and yard decorations, Barrett said.

These findings will assist archaeologists in learning more about Frost Town.

The area dates back to 1836 when Jonathan Benson Frost, a veteran of the Republic of Texas Army, built a house and a blacksmith shop on a small parcel of land adjacent to Buffalo Bayou, Barrett said.

In 1838, Jonathan's brother Samuel Frost laid out an 8-block area that became the Frost Town subdivision, with some of its earliest residents being immigrants, mainly from Germany, according to Barrett.

In the Gulf: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer discovers unexpected shipwreck

The neighborhood, which eventually became known as El Barrio del Alacran, "the scorpion neighborhood," in Spanish, was also home to African American freedmen after the Civil War and to Mexican citizens who came to town after the revolution in Mexico during the 1910s, Barrett said.

"TxDOT's excavations at Frost Town have provided archaeologists with a unique opportunity to see another view of Houston's early beginnings – one that doesn't focus exclusively on business owners and the city's upper social tier," Barrett said.

Now, the unearthed artifacts are undergoing analysis and TxDOT is working with local museums to showcase them, Barrett said.

TxDOT is partnering with the Houston Archeological Society, a group that engages in and promotes scientific archaeological exploration, research, publication, and public awareness of the state's heritage resources.

If working with TxDOT on a future excavation appeals to you, the agency is seeking volunteers to assist with a summer 2020 dig.

Training will be at the Texas Archeological Society Field School, held annually in June. In 2019, the society hosted a dig at Palo Duro Canyon with the support and assistance of Texas Parks and Wildlife. In 2020, excavations will be in Kerrville.

Those wanting to know more about the field school can visit the Texas Archaeological Society website.

See above for more on Frost Town and Palo Duro Canyon.

Marcy de Luna is a digital reporter. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. Read her stories on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Marcy.deLuna@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message