Spanish scientists have created the largest treasure map!

The Spanish Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with various scientists and researchers, has successfully created a gigantic map covering 681 wrecks sunken in the North and Central American region. The whole thing has been christened the “inventory of Spanish shipwrecks in the Americas” and includes vessels dating from 1492 to 1898.

The first item included in the survey is the ‘Santa Maria’, the wreck of one of Christopher Columbus‘ three ships that sank near the island of Hispaniola, now known as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. As for the last item included in the list, it is five Cuban destroyers that were sunk by American warships, during the Spanish-American War in 1898.

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Of the total 681 vessels included in the survey, the majority are located near the coast of Cuba with 249, followed by the waters around the US coastline with 153, followed by Panama with 66 and Hispaniola with 63, and the rest near the Bahamas and Bermuda. As for details, in addition to the location of each wreck, the type of vessel sunk, the name of the captain, the armament it possessed, the number of crew members and passengers, and the cargo are mentioned.

It is this last point that fires the imagination of treasure hunters. Especially since around 80 percent of the wrecks included in the inventory have never been explored. What’s more, many of them carried very valuable cargo, such as pearls, precious stones and gold. Add to this various exotic items such as Ming Dynasty pottery, tobacco, sugar, vanilla, cocoa and various artefacts.

It is interesting to note that only 10 percent of the wrecks in question were wrecked as a result of warfare. The overwhelming majority of the described vessels were sunk during storms raging in the region.

Source: realmofhistory.com, archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com

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