During the cleanup operations following the September 11 attacks, cleanup crews unexpectedly stumbled upon a centuries-old shipwreck.

In 2010, while excavating the World Trade Center site, researchers made an intriguing discovery amidst the rubble.

Archaeologists were astonished to find an ancient wooden ship resting at a depth of 22 feet (6.7 meters) below street level, according to Futurism.

The presence of this old vessel left researchers puzzled, and teams swiftly began investigating its origin and how it ended up in the heart of New York City.

Researchers have now unveiled the hidden secrets of the enigmatic ship lying beneath the surface.

By analyzing the tree rings on the shipwreck's wooden structure, scientists were able to determine its age.

They found that the wood used to construct the ship originated from Philadelphia around the year 1773.

Now the big question arises: How did a massive wooden vessel end up in the heart of the city?

Back when Manhattan was initially settled, the location where the World Trade Center stands today was actually situated in the Hudson River.

Researchers remain uncertain whether the ship sank accidentally or due to some mishap.

As New York City expanded and grew, the western shoreline of Manhattan gradually moved westward, eventually covering the ship with garbage and landfill.

Archaeologist Molly McDonald, speaking to CNN in 2014, described the unique experience: "It's such an intense site already based on its recent history, so to be in the midst of this urban, modern, very fraught location, and then to be sitting on what was a river bottom, with clams and fish, and the smell of low tide, was really an amazing juxtaposition."

By 1818, the ship had completely disappeared from sight, only to resurface during the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

At that time, the ship had long been forgotten, but on that fateful day, as people from New York, the United States, and across the globe watched in horror, a Boeing 767 aircraft loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the northern tower of the World Trade Center at 8:45 a.m.

The impact created a massive hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, causing the instant loss of hundreds of lives.

On any given regular workday, around 50,000 individuals would be working in the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

Additionally, an impressive 140,000 visitors would pass through the Twin Towers each day.

The enormity of the World Trade Center was so remarkable that it even had its very own unique postal code, 10048, which is truly astonishing.

Tragically, a total of 2,977 innocent lives were lost in the attacks.

Thousands of others suffered injuries, leaving a lasting impact on countless individuals.

Over the years, countless people have walked across the site, completely unaware of the hidden maritime treasure lying beneath their feet.