Archaeologists have almost finished unearthing a 19th-century wooden boat found by Florida road crews last week, the Florida Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.

Crews working on a drainage project on Florida State Road A1A first found a timber section from the boat buried beneath the road on Friday.

Archaeologists with Southeastern Archaeological Research or SEARCH said the boat dated back to the 19th century. Pictures released by state transportation officials on Wednesday show the outline and structure of the boat still intact.

The boat “has the characteristics of a locally built craft, most likely used in fishing or maybe general carrying trade. The form of the vessel is low and flat but with a sharper end on it,” SEARCH Vice President James Delgado told WTLV-TV. 

Other artifacts found include a single leather shoe dating to after the Civil War, and fragments of old ceramic bottles and containers.

“We are grateful to our partners at SEARCH Archeology for their careful efforts to preserve this vessel, and we look forward to learning more about its significance to the region,” said Greg Evans, a state transportation official.

Work on the drainage project has stopped until the boat is fully excavated and preserved.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.