In Florida waters, a Native American burial site was hidden for 7,000 years until an amateur diver recently stumbled upon what appeared to be human remains lying beneath the Gulf of Mexico, Fox News reported.
The discovery was reported to the Bureau of Archaeological Research, which launched an investigation leading to the location of the site that appears to have been preserved in a peat-bottomed freshwater pond thousands of years ago.
Sea levels were much lower during this time but as sea levels rose, the pond was covered by the Gulf of Mexico.
Ryan Duggins of Florida's Bureau of Archaeological Research speculated that it was custom practice at the time to wrap up the body of the deceased in handwoven fibers and to sink them to the bottom of the pond.
"A series of fire-hardened and sharpened stakes would be pounded into the pond bed around the body with the tops of those stakes protruding above the water line," he said, according to National Geographic.
Under Florida law it is illegal to excavate and remove any material or human remains from the site, so archeologists had to meticulously document their finds without disrupting the area.
Secretary of State Ken Detzner praised the team for their efforts.
"Our dedicated team of underwater archaeologists has done an incredible job of documenting and researching the Manasota Key Offshore archaeological site, and I am extremely proud of the work," he said in a statement.
"Our hope is that this discovery leads to more knowledge and a greater understanding of Florida's early peoples."
In a statement, Duggins called the discovery awe inspiring.
"We are truly humbled by this experience… This will forever change the way we approach offshore archaeology. As we continue to learn as much as possible from the site, we look forward to sharing that knowledge with the people of Florida."
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