Old bones found in Washington Square
Published: Jan. 23, 2008 at 1:45 PM
NEW YORK, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Bones found in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village appear to date from days when the area was a burial place for the poor of New York City.
The Parks Department said that the bones appear to have been moved several times, dug up and reburied as the neighborhood changed, WABC-TV reported. A spokesman said the bones will be buried once again after forensic archaeological examination.
Archaeologists studying a part of the park where new utility lines are to be laid down found the bones Monday. They unearthed several dozen, roughly the equivalent of two skeletons.
The park at the foot of Fifth Avenue was created in 1850. The land, then crossed by Minetta Creek, was farmed in the 17th and 18th centuries.
In 1797, New York, still a small settlement on the southern tip of Manhattan, acquired land north of its boundaries for a potter's field. About 20,000 people were buried there, including victims of a yellow fever epidemic, before the area was converted to a military parade ground in 1826.
The Parks Department said that the bones appear to have been moved several times, dug up and reburied as the neighborhood changed, WABC-TV reported. A spokesman said the bones will be buried once again after forensic archaeological examination.
Archaeologists studying a part of the park where new utility lines are to be laid down found the bones Monday. They unearthed several dozen, roughly the equivalent of two skeletons.
The park at the foot of Fifth Avenue was created in 1850. The land, then crossed by Minetta Creek, was farmed in the 17th and 18th centuries.
In 1797, New York, still a small settlement on the southern tip of Manhattan, acquired land north of its boundaries for a potter's field. About 20,000 people were buried there, including victims of a yellow fever epidemic, before the area was converted to a military parade ground in 1826.
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This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
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