When Christopher Columbus left Spain in 1492, he had three ships in his fleet. One of these was lost near Haiti and hasn’t been found since. Now, archaeologists have discovered the wreckage of a ship near Haiti and all evidence so far suggests that it is the lost ship of Columbus.
The three ship in Columbus’ fleet were named Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. Of these, Santa Maria was the one that was lost in the waters near Haiti. Columbus’ journey eventually culminated in making the first significant European contact with the Americas and turned out to be quite historical. This is why the lost Santa Maria has always fascinated historians and archaeologists.
The wreckage of a ship was discovered off the northern coast of Haiti back in 2003. Initially, a cannon was discovered among the wreck of the ship but the archaeologists didn’t deem it very significant. Later, a notable archaeologist Barry Clifford visited the wreckage and found out that the cannon discovered on it was similar to the accounts of the cannons on board Santa Maria.
This fresh confirmation, together with the facts that Santa Maria was indeed lost in the water according to historical accounts, makes this the real deal. However, to confirm the find, archaeologists will have to excavate the ship from its site with the help of the Haitian government.
Commenting on this very significant discovery, Clifford stated, “All the geographical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that this wreck is Columbus’ famous flagship, the Santa María.” If the discovered ship turns out to be Santa Maria, it will be one of the most extraordinary underwater finds in the history of mankind.
Courtesy: Mashable
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