Archaeologists: Beach find could be more than a century old

KURE BEACH, NC (AP) — North Carolina’s Office of State Archaeology says it received a donated piece of driftwood that was collected by a beachgoer decades ago in Kure Beach and could date back to the Civil War-era.

The archaeology office said in a Facebook post that someone brought the piece of timber to the agency Friday morning.

Photos showed a thin, curved piece of weathered wood more than several feet long with numerous holes.

Examiners determined signs of wearing along the timber suggested it was part of a trading ship that “had a long working life” and could’ve been used as early as the 19th century.

State officials haven’t said what they’ll do with it.