© Library of CongressA replica of Christopher Columbus' famous ship, the Santa Maria.
The Santa Maria sank in 1492 after it crashed into a coral reef in the Caribbean Sea. Now, archaeologist Barry Clifford says he has located the shipwreck at the bottom of the sea, off the north coast of Haiti, reported the Independent. In 2003, a separate team of archaeologists identified the probable location of Columbus' fort on the island of Hispaniola. Clifford combined these findings with information gleaned from the explorer's own diary to figure out where the Santa Maria likely sank.
"All the geographical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that this wreck is Columbus' famous flagship, the Santa Maria," Clifford told the Independent.
"The Haitian government has been extremely helpful - and we now need to continue working with them to carry out a detailed archaeological excavation of the wreck."
So far, Clifford and his colleagues have only surveyed and photographed the site of the shipwreck, according to the Independent, but the researchers say the discovery could be one of the most important underwater archaeological finds.
"We've informed the Haitian government of our discovery - and we are looking forward to working with them and other Haitian colleagues to ensure that the site is fully protected and preserved," Clifford said. "I am confident that a full excavation of the wreck will yield the first ever detailed marine archaeological evidence of Columbus' discovery of America."
Is when the Europeans landed on the north American continent. it was the beginning of the biggest genocide in history. 12 million of the indigenous people on this land were deliberately and systematically slaughtered, so the land could be stolen from the original inhabitants of North America. I, personally, am ashamed of the cuntry known as the united states, and ashamed of being born white in this one of many thousand lives I have lived!