The Colombian Government declared, this Wednesday, May 22, as ‘Protected Archaeological Area of the Nation’ the area where the Spanish galleon San José is located, sunk by English privateers on June 8, 1708 off Cartagena de Indias and found in 2015 at a depth of more than 600 meters.
“It is the first time that an area of archaeological heritage submerged at such depth has been declared, it is historic in Latin America. We already have the special underwater archaeological management plan“, he claimed the Minister of Culture, Juan David Correa, before the presentation of the scientific investigation of the San José galleon.
(See: Galeón San José would be treated as heritage shared by Colombia and Spain).
With this decision, the Government seeks to recognize that there is a space in the Caribbean Sea “which will be protected by the Colombian State to guarantee the conservation and research that can be done on the wreck“he explained to the agency EFE the general director of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (Icanh), Alhena Caicedo.
San José Galleon Private File
With the declaration, The Government began with phase one of the research project called ‘Towards the heart of the San José galleon’, which aims to study the shipwreck and value it as an “important part” of Colombia’s history.
Likewise, this milestone, as Minister Correa called it, protects a polygon in the waters of the Caribbean Sea and covers the archaeological evidence of the shipwreck of the galleon San José.
(See: Government of Colombia will treat the San José wreck as archaeological heritage).
“Here we are starting again or reconsidering that conversation that we already started (about the galleon)“last February, Correa added.
The minister stressed that for the Colombian Government the “site does not represent a treasure, it does not have an economic price”, but rather has “a cultural value and for that reason” it is considered an “archaeological wreck.”
“This is not an extraction mission for economic value (…) what we want is to leave Colombia the possibility of a scientific-cultural mission that will have several stages and that began this Wednesday“he added.
San José Galleon culture Ministry
Route map to reach the galleon
Last February, the Government presented in Cartagena de Indias the route sheet for the exploration of the ship, that contemplates an expedition this year to the wreck in order to extract some objects from the shipwreck to study them and that, according to the director of Icanh, It will give its first concrete results at the end of 2024.
(See: Colombia finds treasure of ‘incalculable’ value from the San José galleon).
This initiative is led by the Ministry of Cultures with the support of the National Navy.
The San José, which belonged to the Spanish Navy, was sunk by a fleet of English privateers on June 8, 1708 when he was heading to Cartagena de Indias loaded, according to chronicles of the time, with nearly 11 million eight- escudo coins in gold and silver that he had collected at the Portobelo fair (Panama).
San José Galleon Presidency
After the announcement of the discovery of the wreck, disputes arose between Colombia and Spain, since that country claims that because it is “a state ship”, with its flag, It is protected by UNESCO standards to claim its ownership.
(See: Colombian government denies ‘human intervention’ in the alleged looting of the San José galleon).
The Colombian Government, which declared the San José “asset of submerged cultural interest“, does not rule out collaboration with Spain to treat the discovery as shared heritage.
EFE
