VENICE, Florida — Archaeologists have discovered a 7,000-year-old Native American burial site off the coast of Venice, Florida.

The unprecedented site is being called the Manasota Key Offshore archaeological site. It is thought to have once been a freshwater pond where indigenous people buried their dead. As sea levels rose, the peat at the bottom of the lake helped preserve the remains.

“Seeing a 7,000-year-old site that is so well preserved in the Gulf of Mexico is awe inspiring,” Dr. Ryan Duggins, underwater archaeology supervisor for the Florida Department of State’s Bureau of Archaeological Research, said. “We are truly humbled by this experience. It is important to remember that this is a burial site and must be treated with the utmost respect. We now know that this type of site exists on the continental shelf. This will forever change the way we approach offshore archaeology.”

The site was first discovered in 2016 after divers found possible human skeleton remains just off the Manasota Key and is estimated to be 0.75 acres.