Marine scientists have found the remains of a shipwreck more than a mile deep off the North Carolina coast, dating to the American Revolution.

“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,” said Dr Cindy Van Dover from the Duke University Marine Laboratory.

Among the artifacts found amid the shipwreck’s remains are an iron chain, a pile of wooden ship timbers, a pottery jug, red bricks, glass bottles, a metal compass, and an octant or sextant.

The wreck appears to date back to the late 18th or early 19th century, a time when a young United States was expanding its trade with the rest of the world by sea.

“It should be possible to determine a date and country of origin for the wrecked ship by examining the ceramics, bottles and other artifacts,” said archaeologist Dr Bruce Terrell of NOAA’s Marine Heritage Program.

“Lying more than a mile down in near-freezing temperatures, the site is undisturbed and well preserved. Careful archaeological study in the future could definitely tell us more.”

“The wreck rests along the path of the Gulf Stream, which mariners have used for centuries as a maritime highway to North American ports, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and South America,” added Dr James Delgado, director of NOAA’s Marine Heritage Program.

“The find is exciting, but not unexpected. Violent storms sent down large numbers of vessels off the Carolina coasts, but few have been located because of the difficulties of depth and working in an offshore environment.”