A group of University of Texas Rio Grande Valley students are working with an archeologist to dig up some of the Rio Grande Valley's history.

An excavation took place at a now closed McAllen elementary school on Tuesday.

The field site at Bonham Elementary in McAllen gives archaeology students an opportunity to get their hands dirty.

Right now, there is a shortage of archaeologists across the nation, and UTRGV Assistant Anthropology Professor Dr. Edward Gonzalez-Tennant says students aren't getting enough hands-on experience to fulfill the demand for researchers.

He is leading the archaeology research project at the former school. It sits in an area near an indigenous burial ground.

Three of his students are looking for any signs that might point to indigenous activities from the past.

"Something like this, where students can actually get their hands dirty, is not only useful because it prepares them for their careers, it's also going to make them far more hirable and far more competitive," Gonzalez-Tennant said.

For one UTRGV grad student, the dig means more than just getting hands-on experience.

"A lot of people don't understand the history or don't know the history that exists down here, so being able to record this information is pretty important for future researchers to base their research off of," Robert Paul del Barrio said.

The students went underground on Tuesday to dig up any artifacts for studies. They also screened portions of the dirt at the school.

The research for this project began several months ago and is expected to take several months before it's completed.