A treasure trove of jewels, medallions and historic artifacts has been uncovered in the Bahamas that date back to the legendary 17th century Maravillas shipwreck — and the public can now get a look at it.
Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas (Our Lady of Wonders), a two-deck Spanish galleon, sank on Jan. 4, 1656, off the Little Bahama Bank in the northern Bahamas on a trip to Seville from Cuba.
It was a treasure trove of private and royal property.
After colliding with its fleet flagship, the 891-ton ship was destroyed.
It struck a reef 30 minutes later — and ultimately sank.
The wreckage of this vessel was scattered across the ocean for miles, with no trace of it.
Archeologists and adventurers have been trying to find the wreckage for more than 360 years.
And while much of the treasure — an estimated 3.5 million pieces, out of eight — was salvaged between 1656 and the early 1990s, modern-day technology tools such as high-resolution magnetometers, enhanced GPS and metal detecting have allowed Allen Exploration to bring to the surface riches beyond the imagination.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Allen Exploration founder Carl Allen said that he and his team began pulling up precious artifacts in July 2020 near Walker’s Cay.
High-tech tools, plus the official permission they received from the Bahamanian government to search the Northern Bahamas area — known to be a wreckage hotspot — have made for “quite amazing” discoveries, the entrepreneur said.
“We’ve recovered thousands of artifacts,” he said.
“Cannons, anchors, emeralds and amethysts … We’re up to about 3,000 silver coins and 25 gold coins,” he said.
He said that the water in the area can only reach 50 feet deep while the sand can store treasures as low as 20 feet.
Yet that didn’t stop Allen from proving his doubters wrong and discovering treasures that took his breath away.
“When I pulled up the first valuable item, I lost my breath,” he said. “I couldn’t breathe.”
“I’ve been thinking about this my whole life.”
According to an AllenX press release: “The fascinating finds also include Spanish oil jars, Chinese porcelain, and iron rigging.”
The team also discovered a silver sword handle belonging to the soldier Don Martin de Aranda y Gusmán; the item helped the teams identify these treasures as belonging to the sunken Maravillas.
Four pendants belonging to the sacred Order of Santiago, a religious group of knights involved in Spanish maritime commerce, were also found.
AllenX considered the Order of Santiago jewels to be the “star” finds thus far.
One pendant in gold with the Cross of Santiago was made in the form of a scallop shell.
It’s reinforced by what appears to be an Indian bezoar stone — a famous European stone known for its healing properties.
Another pendant with a golden cross is available that overlays a large, ovular Columbian gem.
Three gold chains, including one weighing 887 grams, were recovered. It was made up of 80 circular links and was decorated with four-lobed rosettes motifs.
AllenX said that exact replicas are not possible from other excavations, or as seen through Spanish portrait art.
Jim Sinclair, an Allen Exploration archeologist, told Fox News Digital that these artifacts show how people lived in colonial times and in the New World.
As an archeologist of 40 years, and as an original explorer of iconic wrecks such as the Titanic, Sinclair said a recovery such as the one from the Maravillas reflects an “amazing leap” in technology.
The archeologist also considered the artifact analysis to be a “really good development” in terms of detecting human behavior and history.
These artifacts are likely to be worth millions of dollars, but they are extremely valuable, according to Bill Springer, spokesperson for Allen Exploration.
Allen Exploration’s findings will not be offered for sale or auction.
Instead, the finds will become part of an exhibit at Allen Exploration’s Bahamas Maritime Museum, located at the Port Lucaya Marketplace in Freeport.
The museum will open on Saturday, August 6, 2022.
It will include other exhibits about maritime history and the transatlantic slave trading.
Only 45 survivors
The Maravillas exhibit also showcases the story of the ship’s demise.
Only 45 of the approximately 650 passengers on board the ship survived.
There have been no human remains found.
The shipwreck was a “tremendous blow,” Allen explained, since Spain at the time was struggling financially and the boat was jam-packed with valuables.
It was one of the largest treasure ships to have ever left the Indies — which is why Allen said he expects more artifacts to be uncovered still.
The “mother lode” has yet to be discovered, he indicated; and when it is, he said the haul would be “extremely valuable.”
“The manifest usually on these old ships, a lot of times — it was only about half of what was on the ship because there was so much contraband,” he said.
“So, that’s what’s exciting.”
Allen launched the museum and is continuing his passion for education and discovery by creating underwater archeology programs to educate Bahamian children.
“The big problem is, [the debris] is not going to stay there forever,” he said.
“And it’s a playground of shipwreck.”
“So, I created a path for other people to do this — and I welcome it.”
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