Over the past few months, city archaeologists in St. Augustine, Florida, have been digging up the remains of what they believe to be some of the earliest American colonists, per Smithsonian magazine.
The city dates back to 1565, and “is the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European and African-American origin in the United States,” per the city’s website. It also pre-dates the founding of Jamestown, the earliest English settlement in the Americas, by 42 years.
In January 2017, the archaeologists first unearthed bone fragments from two different skeletons, dating from between 1572-1702, near a city utility project. Then, in early February, the researchers were given access to an adjacent building to excavate below a hurricane-damaged storefront. Under it, they discovered the remains of two more skeletons—one almost entirely intact.
Per the area’s NBC affiliate, the area where all the bones have been discovered translates to the site of the city’s first parish church, Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios, which was founded in 1572. Lead archaeologist Carl Halbirt’s theory is that the four skeletons were buried underneath the church floor.
Watch the NBC’s First Coast News’ original report.
—RealClearLife
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