In a surprising turn of events, archeologists uncovered a large shipwreck during the post-9/11 cleanup efforts in New York City.
The tragic events of September 11, 2001, are etched in the memories of many, yet the subsequent recovery and excavation at the World Trade Center site are less well-known.
Nearly ten years later, in 2010, as excavation work continued, a remarkable find was made.
Archeologists stumbled upon an ancient wooden ship, buried a mere 22 feet beneath the street.
Through analysis of the tree rings in the ship’s wood, scientists were able to determine its age and origin.
The research revealed that the wood was sourced from Philadelphia around the year 1773.
Edward Cook, a tree ring scientist from Columbia University in New York, elaborated on this technique for National Geographic.
He explained, “What determined the exactness of the construction date of the ship was the use of [tree ring dating]… which was made possible by recovering timber from the ship.
“It really is the premier scientific method for dating structures made of wood.”
Cook further noted, “The same pattern of growth variability in the World Trade Center boat was found in timbers in southeastern Pennsylvania.
“There is no indication that timbers came from a more remote area.”
This raises the question: How did a vast ship find its way beneath the Twin Towers?
When Manhattan was initially settled, the area where the World Trade Center was constructed between 1966 and 1973 was originally part of the Hudson River.
While researchers are unsure whether the ship sank due to an accident or another cause, as New York expanded, the western shoreline of Manhattan gradually shifted west, eventually covering the ship with landfill and debris.
Archaeologist Molly McDonald shared her thoughts on the discovery in a 2014 interview with CNN.
She remarked, “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.”