During the recovery efforts following the September 11 terrorist attacks, crews made an unexpected and astonishing discovery: a shipwreck.
Even as late as 2010, excavation work was ongoing at the World Trade Center site.
Amid the debris, archaeologists unearthed a ship buried just 22 feet below street level.
The ancient wooden vessel raised numerous questions. How did it arrive here? What was its purpose? How did it end up beneath New York City?
Scientists have since uncovered the secrets of this mysterious ship.
By analyzing the tree rings on the wooden remains, they determined the ship’s age.
The findings revealed that the wood used in the ship’s construction originated from Philadelphia around 1773.
But how did such a large wooden ship end up in the heart of the city?
Initially, when Manhattan was settled, the site where the World Trade Center was later constructed was actually part of the Hudson River.
Researchers remain uncertain whether the ship sank accidentally or due to some other incident.
As New York expanded, Manhattan’s western shoreline extended westward, eventually burying the ship under trash and landfill.
Archaeologist Molly McDonald told CNN in 2014: “It’s such an intense site already based on its recent history, so to be in the midst of this urban, modern, very fraught location, and then to be sitting on what was a river bottom, with clams and fish, and the smell of low tide, was really an amazing juxtaposition.”
By 1818, the ship had disappeared from view entirely until the tragic events of September 11, 2001, brought it back to light.
At the time of the attacks, the ship had long been forgotten when New Yorkers, Americans, and people worldwide watched in shock as a Boeing 767, carrying 20,000 gallons of jet fuel, struck the northern tower of the World Trade Center.
The collision created a massive hole in the 110-story building, instantly killing hundreds of people.
On a typical weekday, approximately 50,000 people worked in the Twin Towers.
An additional 140,000 visitors are estimated to have passed through the towers each day.
The enormity of the World Trade Center was such that it had its own zip code, 10048.
In total, 2,977 innocent lives were lost in the attacks, with thousands more injured.
For years, countless individuals walked over the site, completely unaware of the hidden nautical treasure beneath their feet.