‘Holy Grail' shipwreck filled with £15,000,000,000 in treasure ‘found'
Stunning underwater photos have brought researchers one step closer to confirming the location of the 'holy grail of shipwrecks'.
The San José, a Spanish ship, sunk in June 1708 after an attack by the British Royal Navy off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia.
At least 200 tonnes of gold, silver, gems, jewellery and other treasures collected in Spain's South American colonies were being shipped to King Philip V to finance his war of succession against the British.
Spain and Britain were fighting the War of the Spanish Succession.
But the huge hoard, thought to be worth about £14.8billion ($20billion) in today's money, went down with the ship and only 11 of its 600 sailors survived.
The Colombian navy claimed it found the San José wreck in 2015, but evidence of its identity was limited – but new research published this week provides the strongest evidence yet that they are correct.
The study, published in the Antiquity journal, includes pictures taken by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) examining the shipwreck which rests about 1,970ft below the surface.
The high-quality images, using advanced underwater imaging and high-resolution scans of the coins, revealed the date the coins were struck.
The coins, known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish, feature the mark of Lima, Peru. Some are stamped with the royal symbols of Castile and León, the emblems of Spain's empire.
Crucially they are dated 1707, which is the year the San José set sail.
Archaeologist Daniela Vargas Ariza, of Colombia's Naval Cadet School and the National Institute of Anthropology and History, explained: Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries.
'This body of evidence substantiates the identification of the wreck as the San José Galleon.
'The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early eighteenth century.
'The San José galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics.'
In 2023, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would raise the wreckage before his time in office ends in 2026.
check our news page.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Air India Ahmedabad plane crash
Air India confirms 241 people onboard were killed in flight AI171 crash, with British man the sole survivor – latest updates Air India confirms 241 people onboard were killed in flight AI171 crash, with British man the sole survivor – latest updates Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is only person of 242 onboard to survive crash, with further deaths on the ground
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Tributes paid to Britons feared killed in Air India plane crash
Air India confirmed 241 of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were killed on Thursday, in one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British nationals killed. Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who run a spiritual wellness centre, were said to be among the dead. The pair laughed and joked as they filmed a video of themselves at the airport before taking off. (PA Graphics) In an earlier Instagram post they told of their 'mind-blowing' trip to India and their intention to make a vlog about it. Mr Greenlaw is said to have appeared on ITV's This Morning earlier this year to talk about wellness. Former editor of the show Martin Frizell praised his 'vibrancy' and 'enthusiasm'. 'So so sad to hear that Fiongal Greenlaw Meek and his partner are reported to be among the passengers and crew killed today on board the Air India flight bound for Gatwick,' he said in an Instagram post. 'I remember his visit to the studio in January, he was passionate about auras and although I'm a sceptical sort his vibrancy and sheer enthusiasm won folk over. 'And I know for a fact that he hoped to use his appearance on This Morning to build his wellness brand, he had a great future ahead of him. 'Thoughts are with his family and friends and those of his partner Jamie.' The Greenlaw-Meeks were running the Wellness Foundry in London, which offers psychic readings, tarot, reiki and yoga. The firm is included in Time Out's top places in the capital for tarot readings. No words can truly ease the pain of such a profound loss, but we pray that the family may find solace in the tremendous outpouring of compassion and solidarity from communities across the world Gloucester Muslim Community The Wellness Foundry also has a podcast called Spirit Level, which the website says is a 'guiding light on the journey to holistic well-being and spiritual enlightenment'. The Gloucester Muslim Community group offered 'sincere and deepest condolences' after Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa and their daughter Sara were reported to be among the victims. 'During this moment of overwhelming sorrow, our hearts go out to all those left behind,' a statement said. 'No words can truly ease the pain of such a profound loss, but we pray that the family may find solace in the tremendous outpouring of compassion and solidarity from communities across the world.' Raj Mishra, the mayor of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, called for people to come together as he announced the deaths of three people from his community. 'Among those lost were Raxa Modha, infant Rudra Modha, and Ms K Mistri, all from our Wellingborough community,' he said. 'I extend my deepest condolences to their families, friends and all those affected by this heartbreaking event. 'May their memories be a blessing, and may we come together to support one another in this time of grief.' Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is believed to be the only survivor of the crash. Speaking outside the family home in Leicester, his brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, said: 'We were just shocked as soon as we heard it. 'I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We're devastated, just devastated. 'He said, 'I have no idea how I exited the plane'.' Mr Ramesh's older brother Ajay was also aboard the flight. Another of Mr Ramesh's relatives, Jay, said the survivor spoke to his father after the crash and asked after his brother. Jay told PA: 'After the crash he spoke to his dad worrying about his brother saying, 'Where's Ajay'?'
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Air India crash LIVE: The Brits onboard the doomed plane including couple with daughter, 4, as 290 killed in tragedy
Harrowing footage shows the moment the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off JET TRAGEDY Air India crash LIVE: The Brits onboard the doomed plane including couple with daughter, 4, as 290 killed in tragedy Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Brits who died in the India air disaster include a family-of-three, a mum-of-three with her grandson, a pair of sisters and a wellness business couple. Names are emerging in a tragic drip-feed of information coming from the crash site in Ahmedabad, where more than 290 people are feared to have perished. 8 Akeel Nanabawa, 36, his wife Hannaa and their four-year-old daughter Sara died in the crash Credit: PA 8 Raxa Modha, a mum-of-three, is thought to have died alongside her grandson Credit: Facebook / Raxa Modha 8 Brit couple Fiongal (left) and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek are believed to have been the Air India flight Credit: Facebook / Jamie Greenlaw-Meek 8 The plane was seen wedged in a building Credit: Reuters A British family from Gloucester: recruitment consultant Akeel Nanabawa, 36, his wife Hannaa, 30, and their four-year-old daughter Sara, were killed. A Facebook post from the Gloucester Muslim Community said: "We are profoundly heartbroken by the devastating loss of life. During this moment of overwhelming sorrow, our hearts go out to all those left behind." Akeel was a keen amateur footballer and helped coach youngsters. Mum-of-three Raxa Modha, 55, of Wellingborough, Northants., and her two-year-old grandson, Rudra, also died on the flight. Wellingborough mayor Raj Mishra said: "May their memories be a blessing, and may we come together to support one another in this time of grief." Javed Ali Syed, a hotel manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel, died alongside his wife, Mariam, and their two young children, Amani, four, and Zayn. Sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi, from London, were in seats 17J and 17H when the plane came down, and had been in India for their grandmother's birthday. Brit couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who ran a wellness centre and appeared on ITV in January, were also aboard. Hours before the crash they posted on Instagram about their "mind-blowing" trip. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - including 53 Brits - smashed into a doctors' hostel shortly after take-off this morning, 8 Huge plumes of black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky Credit: X 8 The couple were on their way back from a celebration in India Credit: Facebook / Akeel Nanabawa 8 Fiongal appeared on This Morning in January to talk about people's auras Credit: instagram 8 The plane was headed to London Gatwick with 232 passengers and 10 crew on board when it crashed just seconds after take-off, and only one passenger survived. Police have said that over 290 people were killed in the disaster, after locals on the ground were also crushed by the huge plane. Along with dozens of Brits, 169 Indian nationals, a Canadian and seven Portuguese travellers were also on board. The Dreamliner lost contact just seconds after take-off, according to flight tracking website Flightradar. A final alert was last logged less than a minute after it started the journey from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, only ever reaching an altitude of 625ft. Seconds before the crash, the Boeing was filmed flying low over the Meghani Nagar residential area before it disappeared behind buildings and a huge blast erupted. Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen pouring into the sky. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating." King Charles also said both he and Queen Camilla are 'desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning'. The US-built Boeing 787 is one of the world's most advanced airliners and the accident is the first fatal crash involving the plane. Read our live blog on the Air India plane crash...
