Archaeologists have been able to look back at life nearly 400 years ago after a treasure hunter fulfilled his lifelong goal of discovering the remains of a 17th-century ship known as “the Shipwreck of the Century” worth 300 million pounds
ARCHAEOLOGISTS were able to take a peek into life almost 400 years ago after a treasure hunter fulfilled his lifelong goal of uncovering the remains of a 17th-century vessel dubbed the “shipwreck of the century”. The heavily-armed galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha served as the rear guard of the 20-strong Spanish fleet that left Havana, Cuba, in early September 1622, destined for Spain. In addition to 265 people, the ship was carrying as much as 40 tonnes of silver, gold and around 70 pounds of Colombian emeralds, some of the finest and most expensive in the world. After a hurricane struck on September 5, 1622, eight ships sank – including the Atocha – littering the ocean floor from the Marquesas Keys to the Dry Tortugas, between 30 and 70 miles to the west of Key West, Florida. As the Atocha went down into the water at a depth of 55 feet, rescuers tried to get into the drowned hull but found the hatches were tightly battened. The site of the wreck was marked, but a second hur...
