Riddle of 200-year-old Irish grave in New York
Workers uncovered a young Irishman's grave in New York's Greenwich Village more than 200 years after he died.
Now authorities are determined to solve the mystery of the life and death of the Co Kildare man.
New York City Dept of Parks and Recreation workers expected to find unidentified bones when they dug below the city's Washington Square Park -- more than 20,000 people are believed to be buried in the former graveyard. But they discovered the 210-year-old 3ft-high sandstone gravestone of a Co Kildare man who died in 1799.
Its writing, still clear, read: "Here lies the body of James Jackson, who departed this life the 22nd day of September, 1799 aged 28 years, native of the county of Kildare, Ireland."
Workers have several times found skeletons during the restoration of the park, but Jackson's stone was the first burial marker.
"It's very unusual," John H Geismar, the archaeological consultant who made the discovery, said. "In fact, I'm stunned."
Read entire article at The Independent
Now authorities are determined to solve the mystery of the life and death of the Co Kildare man.
New York City Dept of Parks and Recreation workers expected to find unidentified bones when they dug below the city's Washington Square Park -- more than 20,000 people are believed to be buried in the former graveyard. But they discovered the 210-year-old 3ft-high sandstone gravestone of a Co Kildare man who died in 1799.
Its writing, still clear, read: "Here lies the body of James Jackson, who departed this life the 22nd day of September, 1799 aged 28 years, native of the county of Kildare, Ireland."
Workers have several times found skeletons during the restoration of the park, but Jackson's stone was the first burial marker.
"It's very unusual," John H Geismar, the archaeological consultant who made the discovery, said. "In fact, I'm stunned."