| The crew working on the World Trade Center site | | | | Molly McDonald said, "we noticed curved timbers that |
| unearthed a great discovery on Tuesday. They | | | | a backhoe brought up, we quickly found the rib of a |
| found a 18th century ship that was evidently used | | | | vessel and continued to clear it away and expose the |
| with other rubbish to fill in the land to extend lower | | | | hull over the last two days." |
| Manhattan into the Hudson River. "That area was | | | | "We're going to send timber samples to a laboratory |
| filled in between the 1790's and 1830's so we know | | | | to do dendrochronology that will help us to get a |
| that the ship was sunk down there as part of the | | | | sense of when the boat was constructed," McDonald |
| landfill around that time," explained archaeologist | | | | added. Dendrochronology can date the time at which |
| Elizabeth Meade. | | | | tree rings were formed and in many types of wood |
| According to a 1797 map, the dig site is close to | | | | to the exact calendar year. The hull of the 18th |
| where Lindsey's and Lake's Wharf once went out | | | | century ship is 32 feet long and a boat specialist |
| into the Hudson. Two archeologists who were hired | | | | went out to also take a look at the ship. Time is of |
| to document any relics that were found at the World | | | | the essence to document and evaluate the ship, |
| Trade Center site, were there when the 18th | | | | since the wood has been exposed to the air, it will |
| century ship was found. One of the archeologists, | | | | begin to deteriorate. |