'Holy Grail' of Shipwrecks

[phkrause]

Colombian scientists recovered some of the first artifacts from a centuries-old Spanish shipwreck in the Caribbean, officials announced this week. The items—a cannon, three coins, and a porcelain cup—were retrieved from the San José galleon, whose exact location remains a state secret amid ongoing disputes over ownership of its vast trove, believed to be worth as much as $20B.   The galleon sank in 1708 after a battle with an English fleet, taking gold, silver, and emeralds nearly 2,000 feet deep. The wreck lingered in the public imagination—appearing as a plot point in Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez’s 1985 "Love in the Time of Cholera"—until Colombia located it in 2015. Since then, Colombia, Spain, a US-based company, and Bolivia’s Qhara Qhara Indigenous group have laid competing claims to the treasure. Explore their positions here (w/audio).   The deep-water expedition that recovered the newly announced object was authorized by Colombia last year. Officials say the mission is intended for research, not treasure seizure.