Spanish expedition ship rescues valuable pieces seized by Odyssey – Daily Mail

An expedition 30 miles from Cadiz (south) recovered a barrel bronc y eleven pieces more ship Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes , sunk on October 5, 1804, said the Spanish Minister of Education and Culture, Inigo Mendez de Vigo.

The recovered objects were chosen by the danger of their disappearance and that allow documenting aspects of Life aboard the frigate, sunk 1,136 meters deep.

No remains of wooden boat, but 21 very rusty iron cannons were discovered, 148 of the 800 tin ingots two culverins (old piece of artillery) and three anchors, among other items.

The expedition, which began on day 18, deposited in place a bronze plaque in memory of the victims of that Battle in which 249 sailors died.

The minister said that this expedition has pioneered technically and success will serve to initiate other missions to find wrecks that were not looted as was the case for US company Odyssey treasure hunt .

This company discovered the wreck in 2007, and drew much of their treasure, however, the Spanish authorities claimed USA to defend property plundered by considering what it was the Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes.

In 2009, the US court of Tampa, in charge of the case ruled that the objects should be returned to Spain , considering that the wreck belonged undoubtedly to the Spanish frigate, which sailed the then viceroy of Peru and was sunk on October 5, 1804 off the coast of the Algarve (Portugal) by British ships.

The treasure consists of more than 500,000 gold and silver coins , some tissues, metal fragments and cannonballs , arrived in Spain in 2012.

A team of scientists comprising staff of the National Underwater Archaeology Museum (Arqua), the Spanish Oceanographic Institute and the Naval Museum of the Navy, as well as experts in the management of an ROV (Remote-controlled underwater vehicle) and participated in the filming expedition aboard the ship “Alvariño Angeles.”

There has been an oceanographic map (bathymetric) and other archaeological with the positioning of all the pieces found that They have been left there, while others have brought to document aspects of life aboard the ship , as a pestle mortar of gold, one silver candlestick and cutlery.

For five days the underwater robot Liropus 2000, he traveled more than a thousand meters deep to observe objects that have mostly not endured 211 years with an oxidation and corrosion which would make it impossible restoration, although not the case of bronze cannon recovered.