Deep-sea explorers have located the wreck of a mid-17th-century Manila Galleon off the northern coast of Taiwan, buried under a layer of protective silt at a depth of 120 meters. The vessel, identified by its unique iron cannons and Spanish pottery, was found carrying a rare and fragile cargo of intact lacquered wooden scrolls and high-grade silver bullion from the Potosí mines.
The ship was likely part of the lucrative trade route connecting the Spanish East Indies with the Americas. The preservation of the lacquered scrolls—which appear to contain maritime logs and diplomatic correspondence—offers a rare opportunity to study the bureaucratic and personal lives of the crew during the height of the trans-Pacific trade era.