GIFS: Ship buried for hundreds of years unearthed in Virginia construction site

GIFs by Abbey Oldham/NewsHour

This week, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a 50-foot ship dating back to the 1700s at a construction site in Alexandria, Virginia.

Archaeologists exhumed a third of a well-preserved hull, among other remnants of the nautical discovery. Developer Carr Hospitality is building the Indigo Hotel on the site, located in Old Town, a historic district along the Potomac River.

The city’s archaeologists said the ship was retired sometime in the late 18th century. They said the ship, along with other vessels, was used as a framework to extend the Old Town waterfront further into the Potomac River. The ship helped establish an international port for the city.

Thunderbird Archaeology conducted the investigation that led to the ship’s excavation. Archaeologists will use 3-D laser scanning, photographs and drawings to document the ship for further study before it’s dismantled for possible conservation, the city said.