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Lost and Sunken Treasure The technological advances of today have made it possible for researchers to recover sunken treasures that have been lost on the bottom of the ocean for hundreds and even thousands of years.
The aqua lung, invented by Jacques Cousteau in 1952, gave divers an extreme advantage over their free-diving predecessors, and now the enriched oxygen mixes of today have made the advantage even better. The artifacts and treasures divers discover tell us about the history of a by-gone era, and they require careful handling and preservation. When a shipwreck is discovered a system of mapping is used to create a grid of a wreck site. During excavation archaeologists carefully record the position and orientation of each object. They excavate them gently from the sand, preserve, and protect them for future study. Instead of basking in the glory of discovering the bell of a long lost ship for example, and allowing it to dry and crack in the sun on the deck of their research vessel, archaeologists know that different kinds of handling and preservation methods are required for different kinds of objects . According to the material, they require different methods, equipment, and chemicals. Beyond man-made artifacts, wrecks containing human remains require special handling. Spanish Galleons and Other Ships Gold Spanish expansion in the New World proceeded rapidly and by the early 1600's Mexico City, Lima, and Potosi were bustling centers of activity with an organized system of trade with Spain. Armed with infantrymen and heavy cannons for defense against pirates, fleets of Spanish Galleons brought valuable supplies to the colonists. For the return trip to Spain they loaded up with cargos of tobacco and coffee grown in the New World, along with vast quantities of Central American silver and gold. Bound for Spain in 1622, one such fleet encountered an intense hurricane. Many ships escaped to safety, but The Atocha, riding low in the water laden with a heavy cargo of gold, was smashed against a reef just off the Florida coast and lost in 55 feet of water. The next day, a merchant ship rescued five survivors clinging to the ship mizzenmast, but they were all that were left of the 265 passengers and crew. Free divers made immediate attempts to salvage the wreck, but in 55 feet of water and without the benefit of scuba, they were unable to reach the gold. This location of this wreck was lost and forgotten until she was rediscovered by researchers in 1985. The recovery of over 400 million dollars worth of silver and gold bars, silver coins, emeralds, and artifacts make the Atocha one of the richest shipwrecks ever found. The Lost Axis Gold of Japanese Submarine I-52 Carrying a cargo of gold, the 1995 discovery of the Japanese submarine I-52 is one of the most significant deep water discoveries of the last decade. The I-52 was a world war II submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. On March, 10th, 1944 she departed Japan on her maiden voyage, on a secret mission to deliver a cargo of supplies and gold to the Germans. At that time in 1944, the Axis powers were almost surrounded. Because of the dangers to surface ships, submarines were used to carry high-ranking officials, secret messages, and cargo to Germany. The I-52 was one of the biggest, and most advanced subs ever made up to that time. But the cargo of gold never made it to port. Allied forces intercepted and decoded a secret message giving away the submarines position, and an allied forces submarine hunter-killer group was sent to intercept. Late in the evening on June 23rd, Lieutenant Commander Jesse D. Taylor's TBF Avenger detected a radar contact on the surface of the ocean during his patrol, and dropped flares to illuminate the area. Seeing the huge Japanese sub diving to escape into the depths, Taylor initiated a torpedo attack, dropping a Mark 24 "mine" torpedo. The torpedo, code-named "Fido", was a cutting-edge technology acoustic torpedo. Developed by the Harvard Underwater Sound Lab, it homed in on the sounds made by the submarine. Sounds of the explosion, and the agonizing sounds of twisting metal were recorded on a wireless device. On her maiden voyage the I-52 was sunk, and never seen again. That is until in 1995 when researchers discovered her resting on the bottom 17,000 feet below the surface,- the culmination of a 5 year search project. Today, plans are underway to excavate and raise the submarine, and debris field. Besides a sunken treasure of gold, important artifacts may include encoding devices and historical documents. It is possible that at such cold, icy depths even paper can be preserved. Adding to the mystery and intrigue of this discovery is the question: "Could the I-52 have been carrying a secret message to Germany, suggesting a possible peace deal?" It is one of the questions researchers will try to uncover, as they explore the wreckage of the giant ship.
Interesting links for further reading: Ship of Gold:
http://www.shipofgold.com/treasure.html The Atocha:
http://www.atochatreasurecoins.com/story.htm
The I-52:
http://www.nauticos.com/I-52.htm Conservation of Underwater Antiquities: Methods of Conserving Archaeological Material from Underwater Sites Conservation Research Laboratory, Texas A&M University Museum Conservation Institute: Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education
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