Ground penetrating radar confirmed the find. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 The Charles Machine Works
The unexpected discovery was made under King High School in Tampa after a tip-off from a local historian.
According to media reports, Hillsborough County Public Schools conducted an initial scan of the site after Ray Reed - a cemetery researcher - came forward with information about the land's history.
Using ground penetrating radar, officials found evidence of caskets a few feet beneath the school's agricultural program.
It turned out that the school had been built on what was formerly Ridgewood Cemetery - a burial ground that was commonly used by the city's poor between 1942 and 1959.
It is now believed that there could be as many as 250 people buried there.
"[We will be] delivering these findings to the county Medical Examiner and State Archaeologist today - as outlined in Florida law," said a Hillsborough County Public Schools spokesperson.
The discovery follows on from a similar find earlier this year based on Reed's research - that of Zion Cemetery - which was found to contain some 800 graves which now reside under public housing.
The MacDill Airforce Base is now also investigating the possibility of a cemetery on its grounds as well.
It seems that the secrets of Tampa's past can't stay buried forever.
#1 Posted by BrooklynGuy on 21 November, 2019, 16:17
Thanks for the stories Still Waters. This is sad news and I have read similar stories over the years about other sites being discovered during the course of new construction including Native American burial grounds. In addition 3-5 feet is the standard burial depth in Florida especially along the coasts because of the water table and Britton Hill in the Panhandle, is the highest point in Florida at just 345 feet above sea level.
#2 Posted by OverSword on 21 November, 2019, 16:40
#1 Posted by BrooklynGuy on 21 November, 2019, 16:17
Did Jesus Exist?
