The remains of a sunken 17th or 18th century galleon have been found by a fisherman in Fornells, on the north coast of the island of Menorca.
According to information provided by the Argo Maris foundation investigating the find, an initial inspection of the site by remote controlled vehicles has revealed a sunken shipwreck approximately 60 metres down and covering a radius of about 40 metres.
Several huge anchors, iron cannons and wooden parts of the ship's structure have been identified, suggesting either a frigate or a war galleon from the 17th or 18th centuries.
The initial archaeological survey was carried out by a team of archaeologists from the Ecomuseo Cap de Cavalleria with the support of the Argo Maris foundation, and their report has now been presented to the Culture & Heritage Department of the Council of Menorca.
The report was supported by some 2000 underwater photos of the wreck, which show, amongst other items, 17 iron cannons, all of which measure some two metres in length, as well as four large anchors, two at the bow of the boat and two more at the stern.
Experts from the Heritage department and investigators from the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Cartagena have said that the galleon could be of huge historical interest, having not been documented until now.
So far, any attempts to raise the sunken ship have been ruled out and the ongoing invesigations are being done by precision underwater robotic equipment.
