Bogotá (TDI): Colombian researchers have recovered the first artifacts from the famed San José galleon, a 300-year-old Spanish shipwreck often referred to as the “holy grail of shipwrecks.”
Authorities announced that a cannon, three coins, and a porcelain cup have been brought to the surface in what they describe as a landmark step in an ongoing scientific exploration.
The San José was sunk in 1708 during a battle with the British Royal Navy off the coast of Cartagena. At the time, the ship was transporting an immense cargo of gold, silver, and emeralds from Spain’s colonies in the Americas.
Historians estimate that the treasure, if fully recovered, could be valued in billions, contributing to the ship’s reputation as one of the most valuable wrecks ever located.
The recovered items were lifted using remotely operated underwater vehicles, part of a mission organized by Colombia’s Ministry of Culture and the country’s Institute of Anthropology and History.
Officials emphasized that this first retrieval represents only the beginning of a long-term archaeological effort aimed at studying the site.
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The artifacts will undergo extensive conservation in a controlled laboratory environment to prevent deterioration and enable further study.
Yannai Kadamani Fonrodona, Colombia’s Culture Minister, praised the recovery as a historic milestone. He highlighted the mission as evidence of Colombia’s growing technological and scientific ability to protect and research submerged cultural heritage.
Alhena Caicedo Fernández, director of the national anthropology institute, noted that the findings allow Colombians to connect more deeply with a pivotal moment in history.
The mission unfolds amid decades-long legal disputes over ownership of the wreck. A US salvage company, Sea Search Armada, claims it first identified the site in the 1980s and has sought a multibillion-dollar share.
Colombia maintains that the wreck is part of its national patrimony and has rejected commercial claims to the treasure. Colombian authorities insist the project’s purpose is scientific and cultural.
In addition to recovering artifacts, researchers hope to resolve lingering questions about how the San José sank. Although long believed to have exploded from within, new research will explore alternative explanations, including possible hull damage.
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