It makes the past come alive' Archaeologists discover preserved well casement dating to the 1600s

A discovery near Rehoboth Bay has archaeologists across the state buzzing with excitement.

At first glance, what might look like an unimpressive bit of black and wet kindling is a "rare and wonderful" find, said archaeologist Dan Griffith. What he and others recently found below the surface is the remains of a well casement dating to about 1675.

Roughly two and a half feet square and almost three feet tall, the water-logged wooden frame was found so beautifully preserved that workers were able to knock out trunnel pins or "pegs" in the mortise and tenon joints that held the oak structure together so that it could be easily moved to a conservation lab.