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Colombia Unveils First Artifacts From 1708 San José Galleon

Underwater robots recovered the pieces for conservation during an unresolved ownership arbitration.

Overview

  • Colombia presented a porcelain cup, three coins and a bronze cannon retrieved from the San José site.
  • The deep-sea recovery at roughly 600 meters used remotely operated vehicles, and the coordinates remain a state secret.
  • Officials say the effort is an archaeological research project, with the items now in a conservation lab for study.
  • Legal title is contested, with Sea Search Armada seeking about $10 billion in arbitration and Spain and an Indigenous group also asserting claims.
  • The Spanish warship sank in 1708 during a clash with the British Royal Navy while transporting bullion and emeralds that some reports value at up to about $20 billion.