Florida Roadworks Crew Uncovers 1800s Fishing Boat Buried Eight Feet Underground

Looks ship-shaped. Screenshot: First Coast News via YouTube

Roadwork crews made a surprising discovery while working in Florida, where they uncovered a 19th century boat buried beneath the roadway. Crews working on a drainage issue in St Augustine identified the remnants of the ship after digging eight feet below the surface.

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The ancient boat is thought to be the remains of a 28-foot-long fishing boat from the 1800s, according to a report from CarScoops. So far, crews have identified around 18-feet of the ship and are working with archeologists to recover as much of the vessel as possible. CarScoops reports:

Crews were working on a drainage problem less than a block from the waterfront in St. Augustine when they found the boat. The 28-foot vessel was likely built locally according to archeologists. Only some 18 feet of it remained as the stern likely washed away over time and before the mud and silt covered and entombed the rest.

Documenting the craft was one job but removing it and preserving it was a totally different experience. Crews worked painstakingly to extract each board individually until the entire boat was out of the hole. Workers kept the boat wet the entire time in an effort to keep the wood from drying out and becoming brittle.

As well as the ancient planks of the ship, crews have recovered fragments of an old oil lamp, pieces of two shoes and even a collection of coins, which date back to 1869.

City officials are hoping that the remnants of the fishing boat can one day be displayed for locals to enjoy. Until then, pieces recovered from the site are being transferred to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum.

Until a permanent home can be found to display the artifacts, the remains of the ship and its contents are being kept in wet-storage at the museum.