VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Deep beneath the sand, below Daytona Beach Shores, an object was kept secret for years. Archaeologists said they believe the debris to be that of a wooden cargo ship from the 1800s that was uncovered when Hurricane Nicole removed a massive amount of sand from the beach.

What You Need To Know

  •  "Mysterious" debris was discovered in Daytona Beach Shores following recent storms 

  •  Archaeologists from St. Augustine excavated wooden beams, confirming a 19th century shipwreck 

  •  It's believed to be a cargo ship from the 1800s that was buried in the sand 

“Here in Florida, we often have storms that reveal cultural material either offshore or right on the beach. In these cases, our collective human story is brought to the forefront," said Secretary of State Cord Byrd.

Crews came from St. Augustine to excavate on Monday and Tuesday, including those with the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program from the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. They’re teaming up with the Florida Department of State Bureau of Archaeological Research and Florida Public Archaeology Network to study what has been uncovered.

Director Chuck Meide of the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program said the debris tells the story of a shipwreck.  

"The shipwreck is most likely a cargo-carrying sailing vessel from the 1800s. It would have likely sailed within sight of the coast and used lighthouses for navigation, though it was probably big enough to cross the Atlantic as well,” the archaeologist explained.

“It was re-buried by the time we got to it, so we didn't see it at full exposure. We are not sure of its overall size but reports of witnesses said the wreckage was between 80 to 100 feet long,” Meide continued.

Crews discourage any beachgoers from touching the site and trying to remove anything from the area.