2014 FIN – Fasteners Key to Shipwreck Identification
November 17, 2014 FIN – In May 2014, an underwater archaeologist announced that he had discovered the shipwreck of Christopher Columbus’ Santa Maria, which ran aground in 1492. The shipwreck was discovered on a reef off the northern coast of Haiti.
“All the geographical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that this wreck is Columbus’ famous flagship, the Santa Maria,” Barry Clifford stated.
“In order to find the location of the famous ship, Clifford used underwater photographs from previous expeditions,” RT.com reported. “The researchers also examined the data from marine magnetometers, side-scan sonar equipment and divers.”
But the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) team sent to verify the finding said it found “incontestable proof that the wreck is from a much later period.”
UNESCO experts discovered the bronze and copper fasteners found at the wreckage site were from the 17th or 18th century – long after the famous ship would have been constructed.
“Before that time, only iron and wood fasteners were used when building ships.”
Clifford stands by his claim, and said it’s likely the copper and bronze fasteners came from a different ship that sunk in the same area, according to the Associated Press.
The Santa Maria is believed to be the largest of the three ships used by Columbus on his first voyage to America. The ship “drifted onto a reef off the present-day site of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, on December 25, 1492, and was abandoned, according to RT.com.
There are no comments at the moment, do you want to add one?
Write a comment