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Agency

Journal of Texas Archeology and History

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21112/ita.2019.1.46

Abstract

Boca Chica Beach spans the south Texas coast in Cameron County for a distance of roughly 12 kilometers between Brazos Santiago Pass and the mouth of the Rio Grande River at the Texas and Mexican border. More than 165 historic ships have been reported lost along the south Texas coast in this general area and at least four, or portions thereof, have been discovered so far. The most well-known of the shipwreck remains is archeological site 41CF184, nicknamed Boca Chica No. 2, which has gained almost mythological status in the region as it has long been circumstantially linked to the Mexican warship Moctezuma; not-so-coincidentally one of the most famous shipwrecks in the region. Is Boca Chica No. 2 the famous warship, once believed to be a “phantom” because it so often eluded the Texian patrols? Evidence suggests otherwise but the significance of both the historic ship and the archeological site invite reexamination of this unresolved mystery.

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The Journal of Texas Archeology and History.org is an organization dedicated to furthering research, education and public outreach in the fields of archeology and history concerning Texas and its bordering states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Northern Mexico; a region we call the “Texas Borderlands.” The J.T.A.H. is collaborating with the Index of Texas Archaeology and S.F.A.S.U. to distribute their publication library to the general public via free and open-access channels. Visit www.JTAH.org to submit an article.

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