Operation Nightingale USA

The only battle to involve over half of Texas's population – Tejanos, Native Americans, Anglos, and former Spanish royalists alike – has been all but forgotten by historians – The Battle of Medina. Fought somewhere near San Antonio and the Medina River in August of 1813, the actual location of the battle was forgotten and lost until now ...

Utilizing the best methods and technology available to the modern exploration of battlefields and conflict sites, the Finding Medina Project* has identified a conflict site dated to the early 19th century that fits the textual evidence for the Battle of Medina.

The Finding Medina Project is led by American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR)**, a 501c3 non-profit that provides American veterans with a supported opportunity to excel in the exciting, challenging world of archaeological fieldwork.

Two successful field seasons, made possible by generous donations through crowdfunding and with grants from The Summerlee Foundation, The American Battlefield Trust, and the Texas Historical Foundation, have revealed a concentration of 26 munitions appropriate to the early 19th century. X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of the artifacts, undertaken by archaeologists at Texas State University, established metallurgical similarity between these musket balls and munitions previously linked to this campaign.

This third season of the Finding Medina Project will focus on expanding the area of interest through continued systematic metal detection and LiDAR surveys.

Any donation will help make an impact - and directly contributes to the veteran experience and the scientific process.

“AVAR and their veterans have done what almost seemed like the impossible. Their work has materially advanced the prior work of archaeologists and historians and will greatly contribute to our understanding of the battle and its impact on our region’s history.”

-Former San Antonio City Archaeologist, Kay Hindes

*Made possible through the continued support of Brandon Seale of the Finding Medina Podcast, the Witte Museum, the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the Texas Historical Commission, and the Atascosa County Historical Commission.

**AVAR was formally known as Operation Nightingale USA.