Plank by plank, workers are starting to dismantle the remains of an 18th century ship found buried near ground zero below New York City streets.
Officials are gingerly removing rotting planks of the 32-foot piece of the vessel found earlier this month by workers excavating a parking garage for the future World Trade Center.
Archaeologists and other workers are hosing down the rubble looking for other artifacts that may be in the ship.
The painstaking process will take two to four days. The ship was discovered 20 feet below street level.
Historians believe it dates to the 1700s and was probably used as landfill in the early 19th century to help extend the shores of lower Manhattan.
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