Gallery Talk The Gunboat at Ground Zero: A Revolutionary War Mystery

Discover the story of an extraordinary archaeological find with Dr. Michael Lucas, Curator of Historical Archaeology, in this gallery talk in Revolutionary New York.

Buried beneath Manhattan’s historic landfill for more than 200 years, the remains of an 18th-century wooden gunboat offer a glimpse into the maritime world of the American Revolution. Likely built near Philadelphia in the early 1770s, the vessel once patrolled shallow waterways before being abandoned along the Hudson River.

Archaeologists recovered more than 600 pieces of timber and 2,000 artifacts, including musket balls, buttons, and ceramic tankards. These finds offer clues about the boat’s history and travels. Evidence suggests it may have been captured by the British and traveled as far as the Caribbean before making its way to New York.

Join Dr. Lucas to explore the archaeological evidence, learn what the discovery reveals about the Revolutionary War, and investigate the enduring mystery of how this gunboat ended up buried beneath the streets of Manhattan.