Everybody wants to get rich, right? And a sure fire way to get rich quickly is to find sunken treasure. Unfortunately for you, all treasure on this list have already been found. Today we will be looking at 10 shipwrecks that were discovered to have treasure. Number 1 is a shipwreck that created a lot of controversy back in 2007 so watch out for it. Number 10. The Salcombe Shipwreck Between 1200 and 900 B.C., a ship floundered off the coast of Devon in England. To put in perspective how long ago this happened, at the time of its sinking, Babylon was at its prime, the Hanging Gardens hadn’t even been built yet, and it would be centuries before the birth of Buddha.
The discovery of the Salcombe Shipwreck was announced in 2010. Amateur archaeologists and divers have uncovered 300 artifacts that weigh over 185 lbs combined, including copper and tin ingots, which were used to make bronze, weapons, and several pieces of jewelry. This is hardly the largest treasure found in a shipwreck, not in a longshot, but its value and significance lies elsewhere. It is by far one of the oldest shipwrecks ever found and the artifacts found within have proven that a definite trade network existed between Britain and Europe during the Bronze Age.
Academics from Oxford University are investigating the finds to try and locate its exact origins, but unfortunately, none of the ship’s parts are still intact. Number 9. The Belitung Shipwreck The Belitung shipwreck, also called the Tang shipwreck or Batu Hitam shipwreck, was the first Arabian ship to be discovered and excavated. It was accidentally found by fishermen just off the coast of Indonesia in 1998, and it was quite the accidental find. The Arabian ship sailed possibly between Oman and China during the 9th Century AD and evidence suggests it travelled on the so-called Maritime Silk Route even when it mainly transported ceramic.
The vessel sank on the return journey and according to this affirmation an interesting point about the Belitung shipwreck is its location: it is unclear why the vessel was so far from the route which it was supposed to take. So far, it has yielded the richest and largest assortment of early ninth century Tang Dynasty gold and ceramic artifacts ever found–bowls, spice jars, inkwells, funeral urns, crystals, and gilt-silver boxes.
Some of the more significant items included pearls from the Gulf, rubies and sapphires, a gold cup, which is the largest ever found, and a silver flask. After its excavation, the cargo was purchased by the Singaporean Government, which has loaned it indefinitely to the Singapore Tourism Board. Number 8.
The Antikythera Wreck In the year 1900, divers discovered an ancient shipwreck just off the island of Antikythera. The Archaeological Service of Greece launched an expedition shortly thereafter in what was the world’s first major underwater archaeological expedition. Many other expeditions to the site were made since then, but an expedition in 1976 recovered the most significant part of the cargo. They recovered Antikythera mechanism, which is believed to be the world’s oldest analog computer, has received so much media coverage over the years that many are not aware of the ships’ other treasures. This famous wreck also yielded a massive haul of other treasures which also included coins and jewelry.
