200-year-old shipwreck sparks new mystery

NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program via AP

While most of the ship's wood has long since disintegrated, the copper that sheathed the hull beneath the waterline is still intact. Leaving behind a copper shell retaining the form of a the ship which sank more than 200 years ago.

NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program via AP

A large cast-iron cannon lies next to an anchor.The wheel to the right of the anchor may be part of the gun carriage.

A newly discovered 200-year-old shipwreck was found 200 miles off the Gulf Coast in more than 4,000 feet of water by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The wooden hull of the ship has nearly disintegrated, but a greenish copper shell that once protected the ship's wood remains behind.

The photos in this blog post were shot on April 26, but made?available?to msnbc.com today.

Related Link:?200-year-old shipwreck found full of bottles, guns and plates

NOAA Okeanos Explorer via AP

Artifacts from the shipwreck, including ceramic plates, platters, bowls, and bottles, some with the contents still sealed inside sit 4,000 feet underwater in the Gulf of Mexico.

NOAA Okeanos Explorer via AP

An anemone lives on top of a musket that lies across a whole group of muskets at the site of well preserved 200-year-old shipwreck discovered about 200 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico.

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