A routine dredging project off the coast of Cádiz, Spain, has uncovered something straight out of a pirate era thriller: a 17th century French shipwreck loaded with 27 cannons and nearly half a ton of silver.
The vessel, now called Delta I, was discovered buried beneath the Bay of Cádiz during the dredging works. Archaeologists recovered 18 silver bars, including one stamped with the date 1667, helping pinpoint when the ship likely sank.
The investigation has been led by Ernesto Toboso Suárez and Josefa Martí Solano of the Center for Underwater Archaeology at the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage, together with specialists from Gerión Arqueología.