Urban archeology - New York City
Nice five-part article on an
archaeological dig in downtown Manhattan:
Excavating Beekman
A case study in preserving New York's buried past.
Construction is occurring all over New York City, and in Manhattan it is common to see both new projects and utility workers upgrading the urban infrastructure. In one recent case, what started out as a routine project by the city's Department of Design and Construction (DDC) in Lower Manhattan soon became anything but. The Wall Street Water Mains Project, a long-term utility upgrade project, yielded several important discoveries in the South Street Seaport historic district, making it clear that archaeology remains widespread beneath the city's streets.
They found old wooden water pipes, foundations for long-gone buildings, pottery, coral ballast from ships, and lots of other cool stuff. An interesting snapshot into daily life back in the early days...
Posted by DaveH at January 20, 2008 3:43 PM