沈没船「サンホセ号」 ロボット調査で新たに遺物確認 コロンビア

【ボゴタＡＦＰ＝時事】南米コロンビア政府は８日、１８世紀初頭に同国沖で沈没したスペインのガレオン船「サンホセ号」でのロボットを使った初の調査を行い、新しい遺物を確認したと発表した。（写真はコロンビア・カルタヘナ沖に沈むガレオン船「サンホセ号」の遺物を捉えた画像）
　サンホセ号の積み荷には数十億ドル相当の価値があるとされており、２０１５年にカリブ海で発見されて以来、その正確な位置は公開されていない。
　コロンビア政府は２月、サンホセ号からの遺物回収を開始すると発表。複数の機関が参加する調査チームによると、潜水ロボットによる調査は５月２３日～６月１日に行われた。
　調査チームは「これまで分からなかった考古学的な発見が複数あった」とし、「２０２２年の調査でも船周辺での考古学的遺物の集中が確認されているが、直近の探査では、これらの集積物をより詳細に調べることができた」と述べた。
　今回の調査では、船のいかりの他、つぼ、ガラス瓶などの積み荷の一部が確認された。
　当時、サンホセ号の所有者はスペイン王室だった。１７０８年に本国に戻る途中、カルタヘナ近海で、英海軍により沈められた。約６００人いた乗員のうち、助かったのは一握りだけだった。
　スペインは国連（ＵＮ）の条約に基づき、船と積み荷に対する権利を主張しているが、コロンビアはこの条約に加盟していない。また、ボリビアの先住民カラカラ人は船の財宝は先住民から盗まれたものであると主張している。
　グスタボ・ペトロ政権は科学的、文化的研究のためにサンホセ号を引き揚げると主張している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/09-20:07）

New artifacts have been found on the legendary Spanish galleon San Jose, Colombia's government announced Thursday, after the first robotic exploration of the three-century-old shipwreck.
In February, the Colombian government announced it would begin extractions from the ship off its Caribbean coast, with the wreckage believed to be holding treasures worth billions of dollars.
Results of this exploration have revealed an unprecedented set of archaeological evidence, which has greatly expanded our knowledge, the institutions in charge of exploring the wreck said in a statement.
It said a robot surveyed the wreck, whose exact location has been kept secret since its discovery in 2015, between May 23 and June 1.
Although a concentration of archaeological remains was detected in 2022 in the area of the shipwreck, the recent exploration has allowed to characterize these accumulations in more detail and to discover new isolated elements, the statement said.
Among the new artifacts are an anchor, as well as part of the ship's cargo such as jugs and glass bottles. Four observation campaigns were carried out in 2022 by the Colombian Navy with high-tech equipment to verify the condition of the wreck.
The images reported had shown, among other things, cast iron cannons, porcelain pieces, pottery and objects apparently made of gold.
We believe that it is possible to find new remains that would deepen the information we have so far, said Alhena Caicedo, director of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, quoted in the statement.
The San Jose was owned by the Spanish crown when it was sunk by the British navy near Cartagena in 1708. Only a handful of its 600-strong crew survived.
Colombia's government believes that this first exploration raises questions about the exact causes of the sinking.
British documents state that the ship suffered an internal explosion, which would have caused it to sink with its treasure and hundreds of passengers, according to Colombia's government. Spanish reports however point to a battle.
The ship had been heading back from the New World to the court of King Philip V of Spain, laden with treasures such as chests of emeralds and some 200 tons of gold coins.
Before Colombia announced the discovery in 2015, the ship had long been sought by adventurers.
Spain had laid claim to the ship and its contents under a UN convention Colombia is not party to, while Indigenous Qhara Qhara Bolivians claim the riches were stolen from them.
But Petro's government has insisted on raising the wreck for purposes of science and culture, with the project estimated to cost some $4.5 million.
The wreck is also claimed by US-based salvage company Sea Search Armada -- which insists it found it first more than 40 years ago and has taken Colombia to the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration, seeking $10 billion dollars.