Researchers discover submerged cemetery and hospital off the Florida coast
Archeologists have discovered a submerged island off the coast of Florida that contains the remains of a quarantine hospital and a cemetery, The Washington Post reports.
The site was located in the state's Dry Tortugas National Park, according to a press release from the National Park Service. Though just one grave was identified, "historical records indicate that dozens of people, mostly U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Jefferson, may have been buried there."
The island was first discovered by Joshua Marano, a maritime archaeologist with the National Park Service, when he noticed what appeared to be a series of dots in an L-formation under the water in Dry Tortugas. Years later, he dove to the area with a team of researchers and discovered the grave of a civilian named John Greer. And the dots, meanwhile, turned out to be "old building foundations that stood on a now-submerged island," the Post writes. "This intriguing find highlights the potential for untold stories in Dry Tortugas National Park, both above and below the water," Marano said in the press release.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Those buried in the cemetery were largely military members that served or were imprisoned at Fort Jefferson. There were also civilians like John Greer, who was discovered to have been a laborer at the fort. "We had no idea, like there was no inkling" about the existence of the grave, according to Devon Fogarty, an archaeology student on Marano's team. "We knew that there are cemeteries out there, that there are grave plots, but we didn't expect anything to be preserved."
Fogarty added: "We want to be able to establish that we can put the extra effort into remembering regular people."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
'The House under GOP rule has become a hostile workplace'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal is about more than bad bets
In The Spotlight The firestorm surrounding one of baseball's biggest stars threatens to upend a generational legacy and professional sports at large
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
An amphibian that produces milk?
speed read Caecilians, worm-like amphibians that live underground, produce a milk-like substance for their hatchlings
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jupiter's Europa has less oxygen than hoped
speed read Scientists say this makes it less likely that Jupiter's moon harbors life
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why February 29 is a leap day
Speed Read It all started with Julius Caesar
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US spacecraft nearing first private lunar landing
Speed Read If touchdown is successful, it will be the first U.S. mission to the moon since 1972
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Scientists create 'meaty' rice for eco-friendly protein
Speed Read Korean scientists have invented a new hybrid food, consisting of beef muscle and fat cells grown inside grains of rice
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New images reveal Neptune and Uranus in different colours than originally thought
Speed Read Voyager 2 images from the 1980s led to 'modern misconception'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Lift-off in Shetland Islands for UK's first vertical spaceport
Speed reads SaxaVord Spaceport aims to begin rocket launches next summer
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Scotland bids farewell to giant pandas
Speed Read Animals soon to begin journey back to China as loan agreement comes to an end
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published