Gold coins and priceless jewels: the treasures of the ship that sank 350 years ago revealed
23Gold coins and priceless jewels: the treasures of the ship that sank 350 years ago revealed
Experts have uncovered a treasure trove of a 17th-century shipwreck that has been under the shark-infested waters of the Bahamas for 350 years. The artifacts in question include gold and silver coins, as well as gold necklaces, precious stones, Chinese porcelain and historical swords.
Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas was a Spanish two-deck galleon ship that sank on January 4, 1656, off the Little Bahama Bank in the northern Bahamas.
However, the majority of the ship's treasure, which is estimated to consist of 8 pieces, was excavated between 1656 and the early 1990s. However, recent methods using modern technology have uncovered artifacts that have never been touched since the ship sank.
GOLD CHAINS, COINS AND THEIR NUMBERS..
These include jars of Spanish olives, Chinese porcelain, iron equipment, gold and silver coins, and a silver sword handle belonging to soldier Don Martin de Aranda Gusmán.
In addition to the three gold chains, four necklaces worn by members of the holy Order of Santiago, a religious group of knights deeply active in the Spanish maritime trade, were also among the newly discovered artifacts.
Archaeologists said some of the items were 'smuggled goods that allowed Spanish traders and officials to get rich illegally.
"Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas is an iconic piece of Bahamas' maritime history," said Carl Allen, founder of Allen Exploration, the company that made the latest discovery. The treasures inside will be on display for the first time next week at a new museum in the Bahamas. "We have received approval from the Bahamian government for it to be displayed in the first maritime museum in the Bahamas."
ABOUT THE SINKING SHIP
The 891 ton Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas was part of the Tierra Firme (Mainland) fleet. The ship had sailed from Havana, the capital of Cuba, to Spain, loaded with royal belongings and special consignments.
ONLY 45 SURVIVED
However, the ship collided with the flagship after a while. About 30 minutes later, it hit a reef and sank rapidly. About 150 people on board clung to parts of the galleon that remained above the water. Many died during the night due to the coldness of the water or were eaten by sharks. Only 45 people survived and about 600 disappeared.
Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas sank in 1656. Spanish records as far back as July 1658 show that the wreckage was completely buried under the sand. Many Spanish, English, French, Dutch, Bahamian and American sailors later tried to find the wreck and the treasures inside, but few were successful.
In the modern era, the shipwreck was rediscovered by Robert Marx in 1972. More remains were recovered by Herbert Humphreys between 1986 and the early 1990s, but most of what was left of the ship was plunged into oblivion, according to the Allen Exploration.