Two 16th century Spanish anchors found in Veracruz

Researchers from Mexico’s Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) found two iron anchors that could date from the 16th century ; however, specialists have yet to determine if they belonged to Hernán Cortés’s ships.

The discovery was part of the second season of the project Subaquatic Archeology in Villa Rica . Both objects join the first anchor found in 2018 , whose laboratory studies have shown that the wood of its stock belongs to a tree of Spain’s Cantabrian Coast , that was alive during the second half of the 15th century.

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was found off the coast of Veracruz?

Two 16th century Spanish anchors found in Veracruz

Roberto Junco

, head of the Sub-directorate of Subaquatic Archeology (SAS) , added that the two new anchors were found 300 meters north from the first one and are bigger than the first one: 2 meters long and 66cm between the arms.

The most voluminous one is 3.68 meters long and is 1.55 meters wide, while the other is 2.6 meters long and 1.43 meters wide.

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Two 16th century Spanish anchors found in Veracruz

In contrast to the object found in 2018, both anchors did not conserve their wooden stock . However, the tabs, two protuberances over the rod, are visible where the stock would adjust, and that are located in each arm, a typical characteristic of 16th-century anchors .

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?

The subaquatic archeologists Christopher Horrell, Melanie Damour, and Frederick Hanselmann participated in the project.

Two 16th century Spanish anchors found in Veracruz

The four archeologists agree that it cannot be determined yet if the anchors belong to Cortés’s vessels because after 1519 and up to the 19th centur y, the Villa Rica de la Veracruz, the second Spanish municipality in continental America – was a very active port for navigation.

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INAH archeologists found a WWII submarine in Mexican coasts

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