At the dawn of the “ Golden Age ” of piracy , the bejeweled treasure of a Spanish ship were lost to the Caribbean ocean in a violent shipwreck . Now , over 350 years by and by , the long - lost keepsake of the poorly - fated galleon have been raised from the reeking depths and will be making their fashion to theBahamas Maritime Museumin all their former aura .
The story start on January 4 , 1656 , when theNuestra Señora de las Maravillas(Our Lady of Wonders ) collided with another boat from its fleet and crashed into a coral reef off the Bahamas .
The nearly 900 - ton ship was on its elbow room to Spain from Cuba carrying a gem trove of H.M.S. Bounty for the king and loaded elite back home .
Divers explore debris left behind the shipwreck of the Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas. Image courtesy of Chad Bagwell/Allen Expedition
Much of this fib only recently follow to light thanks to a diving dispatch by Allen Exploration , together with Bahamian and US experts , who have committed to putting every one of their discoveries on public display in the Bahamas Maritime Museum . Over the preceding two years , they have surveyed the arena to gain insights into the shipwreck and the lost lettuce onboard .
“ The wreck of the galleon had a tough history : heavily relieve by Spanish , English , French , Dutch , Bahamian , and American dispatch in the 17th and 18th century , and blitzed by salvors from the 1970s to early nineties . Some say the remains were grate to detritus . Using modern engineering science and strong science , we ’re now track a long and winding debris lead of finds , ” Carl Allen , entrepreneur , altruist , and the founder of Allen Exploration , say in a statement send to IFLScience .
Their work has discover a sensational assembling of jewelry , amber , Spanish olive jars , Chinese porcelain , smoothing iron rigging , coin , and even a silver sword handle that belonged to the soldier Don Martin de Aranda y Gusmán .
An emerald pendant found among the shipwreck. Image courtesy of Nathaniel Harrington/Allen Expedition
The Allen Exploration says that the most stunning discovery were jewels affiliate with the parliamentary law of Santiago , Spain ’s most honored military order . One of the jewels consists of a prosperous pendant with the Cross of Santiago at its substance , designed in the form of a scallop casing and featuring an Indian bezoar stone , unremarkably used in the past for its supposed healing property .
Along with grand jewels , it also depend like this ship was carrying a lot of smuggle contraband , which was somewhat common at the time .
“ The galleon was stuffed with contraband illicitly greasing the palms of Spanish merchants and officials , ” tote up Allen . “ Our archeology is discover that most recuperate coins were mint in Mexico . But theMaravillasdidn’t officially charge coins in Mexico . Illegal contraband again raises its suspicious forefront . ”
A golden pendant with the Cross of Santiago at its center, featuring an Indian bezoar stone. Image courtesy of Nathaniel Harrington/Allen Expedition
Unfortunately , the front of illegal contraband suggests that official phonograph record list what was on the ship are most likely incorrect , entail component part of this ship ’s narration might still be laying on the seabed .
