‘The first eyes to see this’: Florida workers find 19th-century shipwreck
Construction crews in Florida found the remains of a 19th-century shipwreck while working on an infrastructure project in a north-eastern city.
Workers with the Florida department of transportation (FDOT) were digging throughout downtown St Augustine as part of a project to improve drainage in the city, WFLA reported.
Last week, while working on the $42m project, crews dug up the wooden remains of the historic shipwreck.
The antiquity was identified with the help of Southeastern Archaeological Research (Search), an archaeology firm that FDOT officials had subcontracted in case any discoveries were made.
James Delgado, Search’s senior vicepresident, co-led the discovery of the vessel with archaeology Sam Turner, he told the Guardian.
Led by Turner and Delgado, Search’s crew took five days to recover what ultimately was the remains of a 19th century fishing boat – a “very humble but important little water craft,” Delgado said.
The excavation team used water with controlled pressure to remove mud covering the vessel, Delgado said.
“The first moment of seeing [the] little bit to seeing it systematically exposed as we worked through the different layers was, as always, fascinating because you’re the first eyes to see this,” said Delgado of the discovery process.
The recovered ship was a “small single-masted, shallow-draft” sailboat used “to extract fish and shellfish from coastal waterways and directly offshore”, said James Delgado, Search’s senior vice-president, in a statement.
During an excavation this week, Search crews recovered part of the 19th-century ship’s lower hull.
The boat’s bottom part was once approximately between 24 and 28 feet in length. Crews managed to recovery 19 feet of the vessel that remained.
Crews also found other artifacts on the boat, including the base of a kerosene lamp as well as two coconut shells that were probably used as a drinking cups, Jacksonville Today reported.
Leather shoes, probably belonging to a crew member, and 19th-century coins were also discovered amid the ship wreckage.
Greg Evans, the FDOT district 2 secretary, said in a statement the discovered vessel had been preserved well after sinking into the ground.
“It was encapsulated in soil and mud, so there was no air contact for it to decay. It’s truly an incredible find,” Evans said.
Evans also emphasized that FDOT works to preserve historical sites amid construction work.
“With every project we undertake, the Florida department of transportation is sensitive to the unique needs of the communities we serve, including the potential presence of historical sites and artifacts within construction sites,” Evans said.
“We are grateful to our partners at Search for their careful efforts to preserve this vessel, and we look forward to learning more about its significance to the region.”
For Delgado, who has been an archaeologist for 40 years, the discovery speaks to the work ethic of people who built and operated the fishing boat.
“It was more than just the vessel itself. It was this reminder of everyday people,” Delgado said.
“What it speaks to is the reality of life for so many people, then as well as now. You get up, you go to work, and you make a living to put food on the table. You work hard,” he said.
The discovery within St Augustine makes sense, given the city’s historic legacy.
Founded in 1565, St Augustine is the oldest permanent European settlement in the US, established decades before the English colonized Jamestown.