Researchers discover "buried secrets" of a Spanish fleet that drowned in 1810 and claimed hundreds of lives

Spanish authorities stated Thursday, September 14, that an inquiry into a Spanish vessel that sank more than 200 years ago has uncovered "buried secrets" including well-preserved structural features.

A diver examines the Santa María Magdalena, a warship of the Spanish Navy that shipwrecked in 1810.

According to a press statement from the Spanish Federation of Underwater Activities, a "exciting investigation" is being conducted by the organization into the 1810 storm-sunk Spanish Navy vessel Santa Mara Magdalena. The mission originally meant to save the ship, which is still submerged, but it has "evolved into a saga of astonishing discoveries," the agency said. The ship was highlighted in a 2020 documentary exploring its history and is the only wreck of its era currently being investigated in Spain.

When the ship sailed in October 1810 as part of a Spanish-British alliance to seize a city that was ruled by the French during Spain's War of Independence, the tale of the ship's drowning began. According to the agency, the vessel possessed 34 cannons and a "rich history of service," but after losing its moorings, it was caught in a "sudden and violent storm" that caused it to capsize in November 1810. It was "one of the greatest maritime tragedies" in the nation's waterways at the time because it was thought to have 500 sailors and soldiers on board. Only eight men managed to survive the shipwreck and swim to land, according to wrecksite.eu, an online database that tracks shipwrecks. From their wounds, five of the men passed away.

Cleaning of the ship shows preserved wood under sand and sediment.

One significant finding, according to the EPA, was that around 86 square feet of the lining boards along the bilge of the frigate were "free of structural or biological damage." The bilge is the area where a ship's sides and bottom converge. According to the Spanish Federation of Underwater Activities, the ship is "truly unique" as a result of its preservation, and overall, it is in a "exceptional state of conservation."

The expedition's goal, according to the regional paper La Voz de Galicia, is to map the ship's structure and comprehend how it was constructed. Because of this, scientists must operate underwater to remove sand and debris from the ship.

Round projectiles found aboard the ship.

Lead investigator and underwater archaeologist Antón López told La Voz de Galicia that the ship had been found to have "ballasts and ammunition" and referred to it as a "real underwater museum."

These discoveries, according to the Spanish Federation of Underwater Activities, allow Spain's maritime heritage to be revealed.

"Each find is a tribute to the brave sailors and soldiers who braved the treacherous waters more than two centuries ago, and a tribute to their legacy that endures through time," the agency mentioned.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shipwreck-san...

Has Mexico discovered the truth about the Ek' Balam Mayan Acropolis?

An image on a stone cover discovered at the archeological site of Ek' Balam in Mexico may shed light on the ancient Mayans.

A structure at Ek' Balam.

According to Mexico's Culture Ministry and National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), a mural painting on a stone block used by the prehistoric Mayans as a vault cover has been found in one of the constructions of the Ek' Balam Acropolis.

In the previous year, seven other painted vault covers with a similar style have been discovered in Yucatán, Mexico.

At a press conference led by Mexico's Interior Secretary Luisa Mara Alcalde Luján at the start of September, the discovery was made public.

The recently discovered vault lid was painted red instead of black, in contrast to earlier discoveries. The lid features a "U"-shaped sign that might stand in for a cave with water below as a probable allusion to the underworld, where a snake appears to be making its way in. There is a reptile's head and part of its body visible, which could be related to the serpentine god K'awiil.

Northward view of Ek-Balam. (credit: FLICKR)

Archaeological discoveries at the location, according to Diego Prieto Hernández, general director of INAH, have revealed significant information, including the names of some of the kings of Talol (Ek' Balam), as well as the dates on which the chambers of the royal palace or Acropolis were constructed.

The significance of Ek Balam

Leticia Vargas de la Pea and Victor Castillo Borges, the project's coordinators, claim that this discovery can reveal information about the architects behind the east elevated plaza of the Acropolis as well as the time period in which they were constructed.

Hernandez also emphasized that 27 sites in the southeast and on the Yucatan Peninsula have benefited from the Improvement Program in Archaeological Zones, which has led to significant discoveries.

Source: https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-...

A team of Oxford archaeologists makes important historical discoveries

Significant discoveries have been uncovered by an Oxford archaeology team working on a house development site.

Oxford Archaeology North staff at Little Asby Common (Image: Ed Nix)

The BBC was informed by the Oxford Archaeology North (OAN) team that the Lancashire site had evidence of both Roman and Iron Age habitation.

Speaking to the BBC, Paul Dunn from OAN said: “Unlike other Iron Age sites in Lancashire we have found ceramics and pottery in Bourne Hill.”

He continued by saying that while the dig at Thornton, near Blackpool, had revealed circular homes with their surrounding ditches, it stood out from other excavations due to the discovery of Iron Age bowls and Roman pottery.

He added: “Lancashire was wet with marshland and settlements tended to be on a hill.

"It is a significant site because there are signs of a long occupation from the Iron Age to Roman Britain."

Source: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23793507...

The Prince Who Brought Down The Ottoman Empire

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The Brandiers Farm Roman Tile Kiln Mysteries Has Been Solved!

Any type of excavation was not encouraged by the weather. Nevertheless, a team of amateurs and archaeologists was committed to solving the riddle of the Roman tile kiln at Brandiers Farm, UK.

Roman tile kiln from the air. Credit: Cotswold Archaeology

It took a long time and a lot of effort to clean up the area following storm Antoni's torrential rain and strong gusts. However, committed volunteers were able to contain the situation, allowing for the resumption of archaeological research.

To learn the truth about the Roman tile kiln was one of the objectives.

The Roman tile kiln should be symmetrical, but up to this point, we haven't been able to see the northern half's back edge. Although we kept cleaning the area around the wall in spite of our first assumption that it had been stolen, we just couldn't find any tiles!

The Cotswold Archaeology team explains in a press release that "on Monday, August 14, we machined off part of the redeposited natural to attempt and understand why there is nothing surviving here, but this still didn't address the enigma of the missing north half of the kiln.

The region was examined after a layer of Roman debris to the southeast of the kiln was removed the following day. The team found a new structure, thus this was a successful shift!

Two members of the crew "have been digging just to the west of this, down the side of the kiln, and have discovered evidence of an even earlier kiln, which may have fired the tiles that were used to construct our Brandiers kiln"

The Cotswold Archaeology crew cleaned the kiln while they worked on Wednesday, and they "uncovered a heat-affected surface at the back of the flue, and revealed the north-side interior wall." It was also found that the south-side outer wall was heat-affected, supporting the theory that an earlier kiln stood next to ours and probably used the south-side wall as a flue wall.

Archaeologists told the media, "We're even floating the idea of a chain of kilns, each sharing walls and flues as time went by."

Cotswold Archaeology said that there were further discoveries to be made elsewhere on the site. In Trench 6, the volunteers discovered a drainage canal that diverted rainwater away from the kiln terrace, keeping the Roman potters' feet dry during the humid British summer.

Source: https://www.ancientpages.com/2023/08/18/my...

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