The three bodies, believed to belong to a young adult, infant, and adult, were discovered in the Monks Burial Room and the Nave of Alamo Church, in San Antonio, the Texas General Land Office said in a statement Friday.

In the context of archaeological and historical research at the Alamo, the "three bodies" most frequently discussed are the human remains discovered under the floor of the Alamo Chapel during a preservation project in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, in 1989 and again in 1995, archaeologists found partial skeletal remains of three individuals—believed to be a young adult male, an adult female, and an infant—buried within the sanctuary. These remains are highly significant because they predate the 1836 battle, likely dating back to the site's original function as a Spanish mission (Mission San Antonio de Valero) in the 1700s. While the "Big Three" defenders of the Alamo—Crockett, Bowie, and Travis—died during the siege, their bodies were reportedly burned in funeral pyres and their exact remains were never recovered or identified individually. The discovery of these mission-era remains sparked a long-standing debate and legal battle between the state and Native American groups regarding DNA testing and reburial, highlighting that the Alamo's history as a sacred burial ground is much deeper than the famous 13-day siege.