Archaeologists Perform 3D Scan Of 1800s Ship Found In Seaport District
BOSTON (CBS) – Archaeologists performed a 3D scan Friday on a ship that was found buried in Boston's Seaport District late last week.
The ship was discovered by a construction company while performing work at 121 Seaport Boulevard.
Though they had no legal obligation to do so, Skanska construction workers opted to halt work so city officials could look more closely at the ship.
"This has never happened in Boston," archaeologist Joe Bagley said.
So far, a City of Boston Archaeology Program has unearthed several items, including a fork that was found next to several burned dishes.
They also found dozens of barrels of lime, which was once used for masonry and construction.
They believe the ship came from Maine and wrecked here on what used to be the Dorchester flats sometime between 1850 and 1880.
"We're not sure if it ran aground when it was getting toward lower tide," said Bagley. "It could have actually caught fire because transporting lime was actually very dangerous."
Construction is going to start up again next week and the ship itself will be impossible to recover, but the 3D images will provide an opportunity to learn much more about this historical treasure.
"It's really cutting edge technology that's going to give us the best records ever taken of an archaeological example of anything in Boston," said Bagley.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports