Further analysis revealed that Mr. Greer had labored as a laborer on the fort, and that the slab on his grave was made out of greywacke, the identical materials utilized in its development. He by no means picked up his remaining paycheck, neither is there any report of him having been within the hospital, suggesting he could have died a considerably sudden, violent, dying. Dozens of different folks had been interred on the cemetery, in accordance with historic paperwork, which additionally confirmed that the quarantine hospital had been used to deal with yellow fever sufferers between 1890 and 1900.
For now, the archaeologists plan to go away Mr. Greer’s grave undisturbed. Nor will they reveal the precise location of the location, as is frequent apply.
“In the Florida Keys, we’re in the birthplace of modern treasure hunting. If you find it in the water, it’s finders keepers,” Mr. Marano stated, including that the function of the National Park Service was to protect and shield cultural sources. “A lot of times we want to leave it in place,” he added, “because it’s going to be better protected.”
Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser, a marine biologist on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who was not concerned within the survey however has studied the connection between underwater websites and marine biodiversity, stated that leaving human artifacts in place was additionally probably higher for any marine wildlife. “It was not supposed to be there in the first place,” she stated of the relics. “But after a certain amount of time, any man-made object turns into a habitat.”
Dr. Van Tilburg, the NOAA archaeologist, stated that his discipline was simply starting to grasp the impacts of local weather change on the cultural heritage of the marine surroundings, however that these in shallow environments, just like the Dry Tortugas website, had been prone to be probably the most in danger from storms and different ocean adjustments. Still, he stated, the place doable, the gold commonplace was to go away issues the place they’re.
“Things that are submerged,” he stated, “have a story to tell.”
Source: www.nytimes.com