Florida road crew unearths mystery century-old shipwreck under highway with artifacts including leather shoes, coins from 1869 intact – as archeologists race to stabilize the vessel

• A 20-foot-long mysterious vessel, believed to date back to the 1800s, was discovered intact near the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine
• It was buried underneath eight to 10 feet of sediment and found with artifacts including a leather boot, coins from 1869 and a lantern
• Archeologists are now racing to stabilize the vessel and only have a short time to extract it before the drying wood begins decaying

Road crews unearthed a century-old shipwreck underneath a highway in Florida earlier this month while doing routine construction work. 

The 20-foot-long mysterious vessel, believed to date back to the 1800s, was discovered intact near the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine.

It was buried underneath eight to 10 feet of sediment and found with artifacts including a leather boot, coins from 1869 and a lantern. 

Archeologists are now racing to stabilize the vessel and only have a short time to extract it before the drying wood begins decaying. 

Construction was paused temporarily while the Florida Department of Transportation teamed up with archeology firm SEARCH to work on the shipwreck. 

Road crews unearthed a century-old shipwreck underneath a highway in Florida earlier this month while doing routine construction work

The 20-foot-long mysterious vessel, believed to date back to the 1800s, was discovered intact near the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine

It was buried underneath eight to 10 feet of sediment and found with artifacts including a leather boot, coins from 1869 and a lantern

‘We believe the vessel may have sank unexpectedly and, over time, was silted in,’ Florida Department of Transportation District 2 Secretary Greg Evans told Fox News.

‘That is why it was preserved so well. It was encapsulated in soil and mud, so there was no air contact for it to decay. It’s truly an incredible find.’

Multiple artifacts were found on board the vessel. Its origin is not clear and it will take some time before archeologists are able to piece together its history.

Dr James Delgado, who led the excavation and recovery with SEARCH, said it is believed the ship ‘was a small single-masted, shallow-draft sailing craft of the 19th century’.

He added: ‘It was likely used to extract fish and shellfish from coastal waterways and directly offshore.

‘With a dedicated team, including support from the local community and the on-site construction team, we were able to extract the vessel in order to allow the important work on the community’s infrastructure to continue.’ 

Ian Pawn, an archeologist at the Florida Department of Transportation, said there was no indication the vessel was present underneath the site. 

Archeologists are now racing to stabilize the vessel and only have a short time to extract it before the drying wood begins decaying

Multiple artifacts were found on board the vessel. Its origin is not clear and it will take some time before archeologists are able to piece together its history

Dr James Delgado, who led the excavation and recovery with SEARCH, said it is believed the ship ‘was a small single-masted, shallow-draft sailing craft of the 19th century’

The boat was disassembled, plank by plank, with great care taken to keep each portion wet

‘A large palm wood piling was even driven through the vessel, indicating that the vessel was not known even in [the] later 19th century/early 20th century,’ he told Newsweek.

He spoke about the persevered artifacts discovered onboard. 

Leather shoes, coins dating back as far back as 1869, part of an oil-fired lantern and coconut halves ‘that were likely used as cups’ were retrieved. 

Pawn added that the boat was disassembled, plank by plank, with great care taken to keep each portion wet. 

‘The pieces will be observed in wet storage to stabilize as we determine future preservation effort,’ he said. 

‘We will be working closely with archeologists and the City of St. Augustine to find a permanent home for this unique find.’ 

Evans praised SEARCH, a global archeology leader which has completed 4,500 commercial and government projects, for its ‘careful efforts to preserve this vessel’. 

He said: ‘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.’ 

‘We look forward to learning more about its significance to the region.’ 

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