A priceless shipwreck treasure that sank with the San Jose Galleon off the coast of Colombia more than 300 years ago is now seeing the light of day.
The amazingly well-preserved items recovered, including a cannon, a porcelain cup and three coins, are just a few of the shipwreck’s vast riches. The galleon is often referred to as the “holy grail of shipwrecks” because it sank in 2018 with a massive cargo of 200 tons (180 metric tons) of gold, silver and precious stones, said to be worth around $18 billion. The recovery is part of an ongoing project by the Colombian government to investigate shipwrecks and recover valuable artifacts.
Algena Caicedo Fernández, director of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, said in a translated statement that the recovery of the objects “opens up the possibility for the public to approach the history of the San José galleon through physical testimony.”
you may like
The San José was a 62-gun Spanish galleon that was attacked by British warships in June 1708 while sailing from South America to Europe with a flotilla of 18 treasure ships. The galleon sank in the ensuing battle, killing 600 crew and passengers, although researchers dispute whether it exploded.
Researchers finally discovered the wreck in 2015, south of Cartagena, about 2,000 feet (600 meters) below the surface. The discovery prompted a number of parties, including the Colombian government, Spain, U.S. companies, and Bolivia’s indigenous Harajara people, to lay claim to the ship and its valuable cargo. However, the Colombian government declared that all shipwrecks in the area belonged to the country, and subsequently decided to launch an investigation and then recover the shipwreck and its contents.
The following year, researchers searched the wreck using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and captured images of coins, cannons, porcelain cups, gold bars and more. Colombia’s Ministry of Culture said in a statement that the discovery is part of the second phase of a project aimed at beginning the recovery and preservation of artifacts from the shipwreck.
Items recovered from the scene include a bronze cannon, pieces of rope, and wood and metal associated with the cannon. 3 bronze coins and 3 gold coins. 2 finished porcelain cups. and some porcelain shards. The items were recovered using robotic equipment and immediately transported to the ship for preservation. The cannon was placed in a refrigerated container and the coin was stored in salt water to prevent deterioration, the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH), which participated in the project, said in a statement.
The Ministry of Culture said scientists will continue working to preserve the artifacts. The government eventually hopes to house these and other items from the shipwreck in a museum.
Source link
