Archaeologists find ancient artifacts during construction in New York City!
New York is synonymous with skyscrapers, crowded streets, and constant urban renewal. But beneath the asphalt and concrete that support the metropolis lies a silent historical archive. Every public work, whether it’s a sidewalk, a boardwalk, or a trail, has the potential to unearth forgotten fragments of the past.
According to , these excavations have revealed over 100 artifacts ranging from indigenous tools to colonial ceramics and objects from Afro-American communities. In a city that never sleeps, the underground holds the memory of those who walked its streets before.
Surprising Finds Beneath the Streets
One of the exciting discoveries occurred during the improvement of the Bronx waterfront, where over a hundred Native American pieces were recovered, some dating back nearly 1,800 years.
At the Stadt Huys site, former seat of the colonial government, excavations uncovered the building’s foundations and the King’s House tavern, along with red ceramic jars and imported glass bottles used by the early settlers.
The South Street Seaport area also revealed its hidden history: among the remains found were worn shoes, discarded ceramic fragments, animal bones, and structures of ancient wooden docks.
Perhaps the most touching discovery came in Seneca Village, an African American community that existed in Manhattan before the construction of Central Park. There, archaeologists recovered over 250 bags of objects, including the sole of a child’s shoe, a bone toothbrush handle, and traces of basements and foundations of vanished homes.
Between Urban Planning and Memory
Far from being an obstacle, these excavations have allowed the reconstruction of silenced chapters of New York’s history. In many cases, the recovered objects end up displayed in museums or integrated into urban design, as a reminder that the current city stands on layers of memory.
Each excavation not only paves the way for new infrastructures but also for a past that refuses to be completely buried. Beneath the streets traveled by millions of people, New York continues to reveal that it is, literally, a city built on history.
