Pendants from a Spanish Mission

In 1749, Mission Espiritu Santo arrived at its fourth and final site near present-day Goliad. Originally established in 1721 on the banks of Garcitas Creek, the presidio and mission were moved several times in an effort to find a safer location for the Spanish soldiers and accompanying Franciscan friars. The mission flourished in its Goliad County location for almost forty years. These pendants were discovered during an archaeological excavation of the mission in 1933. The jewelry, perhaps belonging to the Franciscan friars, appears to be of Spanish origin. The roughly cross-shaped pendants are filled with blue or green glass.