Colombia Protects $17B 'Holy Grail' Shipwreck with New Archeological Zone

Colombia has designated a "protected archeological area" around the San Jose shipwreck, which contains an estimated $17 billion in treasure, to ensure its long-term preservation and facilitate research. The 60-gun galleon, which sank near Cartagena during the war of Spanish Succession, has been the subject of ownership disputes involving Colombia, Spain, Bolivia’s indigenous communities, and a US-based company. Researchers are currently using non-intrusive methods to study the wreck, with potential future expeditions to recover archaeological materials.