The bulkhead can be viewed temporarily from the Winter Garden

Unlike virtually anywhere else in New York, and perhaps the country, Lower Manhattan holds centuries of detailed history in its shoreline. It’s easy to see why, considering the sandy beaches of New Amsterdam was gradually expanded by landfill over the past three centuries -- each time covering up yet another layer of everything from household items to ships to bulkheads.

The past few weeks have been especially busy from an archaeological perspective. The Port Authority, which for years now has been digging deeper at the World Trade Center (WTC) site than ever before, is now in two locations where sizeable new artifacts have come to light.

This portion of the wall dates back to the 1890s

The bulkhead arguably doesn’t look like much. It is an exceptionally thick granite wall that’s been covered in mud since the 1960s, experts believe. That’s around the time the WTC excavation was sending tons of fill literally over West Street (and over the bulkhead) and into the new 92-acre neighborhood called Battery Park City.

As archaeologists join engineers and construction crews in the bulkhead’s excavation, they expect to find a 10-foot-thick stone wall, built atop concrete set on wood pilings. The wall was erected hold back the downtown shoreline, allowing the sloping beach to be removed. Piers 14 and 15 were then constructed to allow large ships to dock near Washington Market and other west-side points of commerce.

The fate of the bulkhead, which runs from the Battery up to 59th Street, is like much of what has been found all along the West Side Highway: removal. Archaeologists are carefully cataloguing its sections for posterity, but in order to build, its history now seems to be at an end.

The ship was uncovered during excavation work in the south bathtub

The 30-foot-long section of the ship’s floor is plain to see, despite its timber being moored in dark mud. Experts speculate that the vessel (or pieces of it) was discarded in its location, near the intersection of Washington and Cedar Streets, as part of the landfill that helped form Washington Street and made it possible to build tall in the area.

Near the ship several smaller artifacts have been discovered too, including an anchor, a leather shoe, spikes, and even some maritime pieces archaeologists have yet to figure out. Plans for the fate of the ship have yet to be finalized, but it seems apparent it will be removed for further study -- especially with mass excavation continuing all around it for the Port Authority to keep on its stern rebuilding schedule.

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