Archaeologists discover historic shipwreck on Oregon coast
By KPTV Staff
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MANZANITA, Oregon (KPTV) — For years there’s been talk about treasure buried along the Oregon Coast. Many will remember the Steven Spielberg movie The Goonies, likely inspired by tales passed down through generations about shipwrecks along the coast and treasure to be found.
Now archaeologists are continuing to piece together information following a discovery made last week after being tipped off to possible wreckage in a cave. Taking advantage of low tide, they went out last week to look.
Scott Williams is an archaeologist who for 16 years has been searching for Spanish Galleon that went missing in 1693. The ship was carrying silk and beeswax from The Philippines to Mexico when it disappeared. Then two years ago, a resident told Williams he had found what looked like wood from an ancient ship.
“When the beachcomer told me he found shipwreck pieces I told him I doubt it, you know you just don’t get shipwreck wood preserving for 300 years,” Williams said.
There were lots of hurdles to get over but finally last week, crews took advantage of a low tide to recover the wreckage, lodged in a cave near the Manzanita Coast.
“When we got out there, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh this really is.’”
Crews found 13 pieces of timber which they believe to be from the Santo Cristo De Burgos. The timber was difficult to access, and one piece weighed hundreds of pounds. The local sheriff’s department helped with the recovery. It was a race against a rising tide.
“The last few timbers, I ended up staying behind to get those bundled up so I had to swim out to the jet ski because I got trapped where I couldn’t get out any other way,” said Coastal Region District Archaeologist Stacy Owen.
Based on the type of wood and the size of the pieces, Williams says he’s 90% sure this is the wreckage of the Galleon. Archaeologists say the wood is a tropical hardwood not native to Oregon and radiocarbon dating will determine when the wood was harvested.
“The Spanish searched for it for years and couldn’t find it and we now know the reason they couldn’t find it is it wrecked up here,” Williams said. “They were searching the western pacific and down around Mexico.”
The pieces recovered last week are just part of the ship. Archaeologists are still hoping to find more in the waters and ask if you’re out and find something, please don’t try to move it yourself.
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