Archaeologists dig into the past with mysterious 'ghost fleet'

Archaeologists from across the United States are investigating a series of abandoned boats believed to date back the second World War.

The mysterious "ghost fleet" comprises of possibly more than thirteen abandoned boats that date back to the Civil War era and WWI.

"We believe this is one of the greatest assemblages of historic wrecks in Virginia that represents Chesapeake Bay maritime history for over a century," Brendan Burke, an archaeologist with the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program, said.

Two years ago, Suffolk history buff Kermit Hobbs stumbled upon something sticking out of the mud in the Nansemond River that caught his curiosity.

"My friend and I, we were looking for an old dugout canoe that we thought was supposed to be in the woods when suddenly I saw posts sticking out of the mud," Mr Hobbs said.

He used a drone to get a clearer view.

"It was amazing what we saw. It's like we dug up a treasure, like a relic," he explained.

The boats range in size from 15 to 25 metres and include working craft boats, transportation boats, lumber boats, shingling boats and oystering.

The team investigating the site is using a laser-scanning device to gather a high-density "point cloud" of the entire wreck complex for later use in creating a 3-D model of the wreck site.

"By researching these boats we are learning about the builders' history, the sailors who were on them and what they contained," Mr Burke said.

The boats sit on private property and will not be removed.