A REAL chamber of secrets! Mysterious 200-year-old stone crypt is unearthed beneath the grounds of the oldest government building in Canada
- Archaeologists found a mysterious vault beneath the Nova Scotia Legislator
- The size of living room, the crypt is believed to have served a military purpose
- Artifacts found inside signal the structure dates back to between 1811-1819
- Experts couldn’t access the tomb, but cameras gave a glimpse of the inside
Archaeologists have unearthed a mysterious underground vault beneath the grounds of a Canadian government building.
The stone crypt was discovered underneath the the Nova Scotia Legislature last summer during a renovation of its gardens.
Excavators weren’t able to enter the tomb themselves, but through the use of remote cameras they managed to take a glimpse of what lurks inside.
What the room was exactly used for experts aren’t sure but they theorize it may once have served a military purpose, according to CBC.
Experts are yet sure what the room was used for, but they theorize it may have once served as a gunpowder store
Using artifacts discovered at the site, they determined the crypt was built between 1811 and 1819
Ceramic vases, bowls and a stoneware bottle were found on the roof of the structure.
‘The chamber was not fully explored during the revitalization project, though its construction and dimensions suggest it may have functioned as a powder magazine, perhaps during construction of Province House in 1811 to 1819,’ said lead archaeologist, April MacIntyre, in a report to officials.
‘Artifacts on top of the feature date to the very late 18th to first few decades of the 19th century suggesting it was exposed and/or constructed during that time.’
According to MacIntyre, the structure bears a striking resemblance to an underground gunpowder store made by the British Army at Fort Anne, also in Nova Scotia, in the late 1790s.
‘The discovery at Province House is certainly an exciting one,’ said Leo Glavine, a Nova Scotia Minister, to Fox News.
The stone crypt, which is said to be the size of a living room, was discovered underneath the the Nova Scotia Legislature (above) last summer during a renovation of its gardens
Ceramic bowels and pots were found within the mysterious room. Artifacts discovered at the site will likely be donated to the Nova Scotia Museum
Excavators weren’t able to enter the tomb themselves, but through the use of remote cameras they managed to take a glimpse of what lurked inside
‘At this time, staff at Nova Scotia’s department of Communities, Culture and Heritage are in the early stages of reviewing the archaeology report and it is too early to determine next steps.’
Glavine says any other artifacts found at the site next to Province House will be given to the Nova Scotia Museum.
Province House, the oldest legislative building in Canada, celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. It also looks very much like the original White House, officials have pointed out.
In the UK last year, a serious of mysterious 250-year-old rooms were discovered in Blenheim Palace, where Winston Churchill was born.
They were later discovered to be a series of ‘lost’ rooms on the ground floor of Grand Bridge, which had flooded.
A historic tunnel was also found in Brooklyn, later confirmed to have been built in 1844, it’s believed to be the world’s oldest subway.