Ancient ship found at ground zero

[bassman]

I found this pretty interesting. This seems like the last place you would expect to find a ship... Workers at the World Trade Center site are excavating a 32-foot-long ship hull that apparently was used in the 18th century as part of the fill that extended lower Manhattan into the Hudson River. It's hoped the artifact can be retrieved by the end of the day on Thursday, said archaeologist Molly McDonald. A boat specialist was going to the site to take a look at it.

[AcesandEights]

Fucking amazing. I found a snippet with some muddy excavation pictures here.

[SRP76]

There's probably stuff like that along every body of water on the east coast. The shores have been "altered" nonstop since the very first colonist set foot on the continent.

[rongravy]

Maybe they should build that mosque underwater. Then, somewhere down the line, they can lie again and say they originated life here. Imagine excavating other planets and what we will find... Doing the same here is pointless. Bible thumpers will still have their museums with us frolicking around with the dinosaurs... Other planets? I can't wait.

[bassman]

There's probably stuff like that along every body of water on the east coast. The shores have been "altered" nonstop since the very first colonist set foot on the continent. yeah....the article says it was most likely used in expanding the shoreline. It's just interesting because of where it's at and the condition it's in.

[tkane18]

Sounds like a book I read long ago: Legion of the Dead by Geoffrey Caine. If I remember, NY is building the tallest skyscaper in the world and therefore must dig deeper than before for the support structures. They find an ship buried far beneath and something get released (might have been some evil spirit) and starts turning the population into the living dead.

[C5NOTLD]

Very cool. .

[clanglee]

That is an insanely cool find!! In the middle of one of the largest Metropolis(s?) in the world? Pretty cool. It's a shame that it has to be such a grab and tag expedition since the construction is ongoing.

[Trin]

So a ship that was built in the 1700s, and was considered fodder for landfills in 1810, is now a rediscovered lost treasure? I'm not sure I'm getting it.

[AcesandEights]

So a ship that was built in the 1700s, and was considered fodder for landfills in 1810, is now a rediscovered lost treasure? I'm not sure I'm getting it. Let me explain. You see this pocket watch?

[blind2d]

Yeah! Indy!!! Hope nobody dies over this boat, though...

[bassman]

Hope nobody dies over this boat, though... Is it too soon to say that thousands already have?

[blind2d]

Oh, I see what you did there! .....sick bastard.... You know what I mean!

[SymphonicX]

hmm, 300 years old is "ancient"? My local pub is 500 years older than that hahaha

[AcesandEights]

hmm, 300 years old is "ancient"? My local pub is 500 years older than that hahaha Yeah, I know. I was discussing this by email, but you have to chalk it up to a combo of journalistic hyperbole, incompetence on the part of the writer & editor and the fact that to Americans a couple of hundred years old is pretty old. We have a fair number of ancient, pre-colombian sites in the US obviously, but not the profusion of landmarks and extant buildings several hundred years as they do in, let's say, Europe for example. And for obvious reasons.