A shipwreck found off the coast of Haiti is thought to be the remains of the Santa Maria which brought Christopher Columbus to the New World 500 years ago, experts believe.
The ship, which is lying off the north coast of Haiti, will now be explored thoroughly by a team of marine investigators.
It is thought likely to be the Santa Maria, the flagship of a fleet of three vessels which sailed under the command of Christopher Columbus from Spain in 1492.
She was abandoned after drifting into a reef near the Bahamas on the return journey back from the New World, and Columbus ordered sailors to build a fort nearby before taking the two remaining ships, the Nina and Pinta, home to Spain.
The wreck, which lies 10 to 15 feet below the surface, was discovered by marine investigator Barry Clifford in 2003, but he and his team were unable to board the heavily-decayed ship to confirm the identify of the remains.
After nearly a decade of analysis, and the discovery of Columbus’ encampment on Haiti, which is south of the Bahamas, Mr Clifford is now confident that the ship is the Santa Maria.
Data of the explorer’s diary also appears to suggest that the location of the wreck is correct.
In a statement, Mr Clifford said: "I am confident that a full excavation of the wreck will yield the first-ever detailed marine archaeological evidence of Columbus' discovery of America."
If confirmed, the find would represent one of the greatest underwater archaeological discoveries ever.
“This is the ship that changed the course of human history," Mr Clifford told CNN. "It is the Mount Everest of shipwrecks for me."
Columbus set sail under the sponsorship of King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Spain hoping to find a westward route to China, India and the gold and spice islands of the East.
But the first place sailors set eyes on, in October 1492, was the Caribean and he landed on Haiti soon afterwards.
Source : Independent , Telegraph , History Channel
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews
The ship, which is lying off the north coast of Haiti, will now be explored thoroughly by a team of marine investigators.
It is thought likely to be the Santa Maria, the flagship of a fleet of three vessels which sailed under the command of Christopher Columbus from Spain in 1492.
She was abandoned after drifting into a reef near the Bahamas on the return journey back from the New World, and Columbus ordered sailors to build a fort nearby before taking the two remaining ships, the Nina and Pinta, home to Spain.
The wreck, which lies 10 to 15 feet below the surface, was discovered by marine investigator Barry Clifford in 2003, but he and his team were unable to board the heavily-decayed ship to confirm the identify of the remains.
After nearly a decade of analysis, and the discovery of Columbus’ encampment on Haiti, which is south of the Bahamas, Mr Clifford is now confident that the ship is the Santa Maria.
Data of the explorer’s diary also appears to suggest that the location of the wreck is correct.
In a statement, Mr Clifford said: "I am confident that a full excavation of the wreck will yield the first-ever detailed marine archaeological evidence of Columbus' discovery of America."
If confirmed, the find would represent one of the greatest underwater archaeological discoveries ever.
“This is the ship that changed the course of human history," Mr Clifford told CNN. "It is the Mount Everest of shipwrecks for me."
Columbus set sail under the sponsorship of King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Spain hoping to find a westward route to China, India and the gold and spice islands of the East.
But the first place sailors set eyes on, in October 1492, was the Caribean and he landed on Haiti soon afterwards.
Source : Independent , Telegraph , History Channel
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews
Comments
Post a Comment