Naval officials in Colombia announced Monday that they have uncovered new video and images of the San Jose galleon, which sank off the coast of the country in 1708, along with two other shipwrecks from the time.
The ship was carrying potentially billions of dollars worth of treasure when it sank not too far from the Caribbean port of Cartagena, ABC reported. Images from the wreck of the San Jose suggest that much of this treasure is still intact, including gold ingots and other types of coin, cannons made in Seville in 1655, and even an intact Chinese dinner set, ABC reported. (RELATED: ‘Frozen In Time’: Scientists Make Huge 2,100-Year-Old Discovery In Israel)
The ship was sunk by the British navy as it attempted to transport precious metals and stones to the Spanish court, the outlet reported. A majority of the 600 crew members sunk with the ship, which now lies around 900 meters under the surface, according to the outlet.
Nuevo descubrimiento#Colombia anunció este lunes el hallazgo dos embarcaciones cerca de la zona donde se encuentra el galeón español ‘San José’, hundido frente a #Cartagena de Indias en el siglo XVIII por corsarios ingleses y cargado de oro saqueado por los conquistadores. /e pic.twitter.com/qrSauxetDy
— DW Español (@dw_espanol) June 7, 2022
While Colombian naval officials were conducting underwater monitoring of the San Jose, they discovered two other ancient shipwrecks nearby, the BBC reported. One of the new discoveries is believed to be another Spanish colonial-era boat, while the other might be around 200 years old and came from the time of Colombia’s war of independence, according to the outlet.
Should successful recovery of the artifacts take place, Colombian Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez said they would be placed in a museum, ABC reported. “Submerged heritage is invaluable, hence the responsibility to protect it until it can be extracted, contributing to the history of Colombia, the Caribbean and the world,” she continued, according to the outlet.
Scientists Stumble Upon Never-Before-Seen Underwater ‘Road’https://t.co/M9A74l6rjW
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 11, 2022
Spain disputes Colombia’s ownership of the treasure, as the ship belonged to the Spanish navy when it sank, another BBC article reported. The Qhara Qhara nation, an indigenous population in Bolivia, has also laid claim to the treasure, as their ancestors were reportedly forced to mine the treasure from their lands in the 1500s, ABC noted.