Archaeological investigations of the Porvenir Massacre, Presidio County, Texas

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.

1918年波恩西尔大屠杀（Porvenir Massacre）是1910年血腥墨西哥革命期间，美墨双边关系史上最晦暗的篇章之一。该事件中，15名墨西哥裔男性与少年在美墨边境美方一侧的低矮岩石断崖前惨遭杀害。尽管随后开展了军事调查与得克萨斯州国会调查，相关案件始终未提起任何刑事指控，大屠杀遗址也随岁月流逝而湮没无闻。近一个世纪以来，围绕这一事件的诸多核心疑团始终未能得到解答。2015年的考古调查不仅确认了该大屠杀遗址的疑似位置，还判定现场遗留有民用与军用两类弹药。本项目是该重要遗址有史以来首次且唯一一次考古勘察，其呈现的实物证据表明美军曾介入此次事件，从而对长期以来的历史记载提出了挑战。