19th century burial chamber unearthed in New York

A burial chamber full of human skeletal remains was unearthed recently in New York City's Greenwich Village. The discovery was made beneath century-old water mains located beneath Washington Square Park, according to New York City's Department of Design and Construction. Officials from the department reported the finding on Wednesday, saying the burial chamber measures in at about 15ft wide x 20ft long and is about 8 feet deep.

The burial chamber itself is a rounded vault of sorts, as shown in the image above. A contractor was excavating the site, and soon researchers will come in to remove the remains. Little is known about it at this point, though reports state that more than a dozen human skeletons are present in a large pile.

According to the Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Feniosky Pena-Mora, the department will work alongside the Landmarks Preservation Commission in an evaluation of the discovery and whatever details about it can be unearthed. At this point, public access has been restricted.

The excavation in the area will continue, though doing so further south beyond the burial chamber. Whether additional items or burial vaults will be discovered is yet to be seen. The identity of the remains and the significance of the burial chamber aren't yet known.

SOURCE: Newsday