Colombian archaeologists have discovered the remains of what could be an 18th-century merchant vessel sunk by Spanish naval commander Adm. Blas de Lezo in 1741 in an attempt to block an English invasion of the Caribbean port city of Cartagena de Indias, researchers told EFE.
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| Colombian archaeologists study the remains of what could be an 18th-century merchant vessel [Credit: EFE] |
The discovery consists of a cannon and several slabs of wood that form “a pattern indicating that all the wood and structures belonged to a single ship,” the Universidad Externado de Colombia professor of archaeology and director of the Terra Firme Foundation, Carlos del Cairo, said.
The newly discovered shipwreck was apparently one of four ships that Blas de Lezo, known for the many wounds he suffered in battle, sank in the Manzanillo channel during the siege of the city by English corsairs commanded by Adm. Edward Vernon.
Adm. Blas de Lezo, as part of his strategy for defending the city, sank at least another six men-of-war in the channels of Bocachica and what today is known as Castillo Grande, so that the attackers’ ships would be stranded on the sunken vessels when trying to invade the city.
“The cannon was not functional — studying the characteristics of the cannon seems to indicate that it could have been part of the ship’s ballast,” Del Cairo said.
Though Colombia did not have the infrastructure to make that cannon, Del Cairo said that “it is made of iron and our typology studies allow us to think that it is of Spanish origin.”
“We believe it’s a 6-pound cannon, which means it could shoot cannonballs of up to six pounds each,” the archaeologist said.
The shipwreck was found off Manzanillo island, site of Colombian naval academy facilities, Fort Manzanillo and the Casa de Huespedes Ilustres (House of Distinguished Guests), where Colombia’s president stays when he visits the city.
The heritage site was altered because the dredging done centuries ago to deepen the channel never contemplated “an archaeological management plan that by law must now be obeyed by companies doing any operations that include the removal of land or water,” Del Cairo said.
Source: EFE [July 20, 2015]
