Lost 18th-century Spanish mission unearthed after decades of searching offers 'rare snapshot'

Archaeologists and students recently uncovered an 18th-century Catholic mission in Texas — a discovery that clarifies a key chapter in the early history of the Lone Star State.

Excavators from Texas Tech University (TTU) unearthed remains belonging to Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo (Mission Our Lady of the Holy Spirit), an abandoned settlement in Jackson County. 

With the help of students, excavators discovered proof of the missing site, which resolves "decades of searching"...