A team of scientists recently discovered a previously unknown centuries-old shipwreck off the North Carolina coast, while they were out on a research expedition on Sunday. According to scientists the ship can be as old as the American Revolution times.

Officials announced on Friday that the team that made the discovery consisted of marine researchers from Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of Oregon.

According to researchers, artifacts onboard suggest that the ship could be from the times of 18th or early 19th century. Artifacts found on the ship include an iron chain, red bricks, glass bottles, a metal compass, a pile of wooden ship timbers and a navigational instrument.

Expedition leader Cindy Van Dover said, “This is an exciting find, and a vivid reminder that even with major advances in our ability to access and explore the ocean, the deep sea holds its secrets close”.

The team said that they discovered the ship more than a mile deep off the North Carolina coast. The wreck was handed off to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for dating and identification.

The team aboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) research ship Atlantis spotted the wreck while using a robotic autonomous underwater vehicle named Sentry and a manned submersible named Alvin.

Van Dover affirmed that he previously had carried out four expeditions in the site. But he said it was ironic to know that they were exploring within 100 meters of the wreck site without any hint that it was there.

Bruce Terrell, chief archaeologist at the Marine Heritage Program, said they can determine a date and country of origin for the wrecked ship by examining the ceramics, bottles, and other artifacts.