An archaeologist believes round 250 shipwrecks with misplaced treasures could also be hidden in Portuguese waters, however left unprotected because of a scarcity of presidency intervention.
An underwater archaeologist has recognized 8,620 shipwrecks in Portuguese waters, together with round 250 believed to comprise misplaced treasures. The discovery spans the coastal areas of mainland Portugal and the waters across the Azores and Madeira.
Alexandre Monteiro, a researcher at Nova University in Lisbon, revealed his findings, that are based mostly on an in depth database he compiled of shipwrecks courting again to the 1500s, when historic paperwork grew to become accessible.
“I’ve documented round 7,500 wrecks alongside the mainland coast, 1,000 close to the Azores and 120 close to Madeira,” he informed Portuguese information company Lusa.
Monteiro estimates that round 250 of those shipwrecks comprise misplaced treasures in Portugal’s territorial waters.
«I do know, for instance, that off the coast of Troia there’s a Spanish ship from 1589 known as Nossa Senhora do Rosário. I’ve investigated his story and I additionally know the identify of the captain’s mom. Official information present it was carrying 22 tonnes of gold and silver,” he mentioned.
When requested if the federal government was conscious of this info, Monteiro mentioned the small print had been revealed, however no motion had been taken.
“We know there are 250 treasure ships and, eventually, a building challenge or one thing comparable will uncover one. However, there isn’t any contingency plan to guard such discoveries,” he warned.
Monteiro additionally dominated out the chance of treasure hunters raiding these websites, explaining: “It is unlikely, as a lot of the shipwrecks are buried beneath the sand.”
