New Orleans excavations by Silvia Szarkova

New Orleans' St. Louis Cathedral named after significant French king Louis XIV. in heart of the French quarter is one of the nation's oldest cathedrals and according to new facts revealed on Tuesday , maybe one of the most mystic ones.

The very first archaeological dig in its fields revealed some unclear facts from New Orleans history and finally also has gone to find out some amazing treasures dating back to city’s foundation in early 1700s.

Discoveries leading by Shannon Lee Dawdy include also a small silver crucifix, possibly from 1770s or 1780s and significant ruins of previously unknown comlpex of buildings dating back to 1718, when the city is supposed to be founded.

Experts say the crucifix might have belonged to Pere Antoine, a Capuchin monk and the first rector of St. Louis Cathedral, which now dominates to Jackson Square. Shannon Dawdy told the press on Tuesday also about the history of his arriving to United States. Under the Spanish Inquisition Pere Antoine came to New Orleans as Rev. Antonio de Sedello and lived in a hut in the cathedral’s garden from late 1700s till his death- until 1829. The silver crucifix probably proofing his presence in the past will be sent to be investigated, said Dawdy. She and her team of 8 students of University of Chicago were working in Cathedral and surrounding gardens for a month, concluded their work on Monday.

St. Louis Cathedral was built in 1851 to replace the ruins made by one of the fires in 1788 and until now there has been no archaeological excavation, but after Hurricane Katrina they used money og Getty Foundation to grant digs to Cathedral’s history, said Nancy Averett, spokeswoman of the Cathedral.

Finds also include clay pipes, children’ s marbles, remains of china dolls and bits of Indian trade-like goods in Louisiana but the most important is maybe the fragment of Native American pottery.

by Silvia Szarkova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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posted by Lucia Adamova