Page 170 - Vol_2_Archaeology of Manila Galleon Seaport Trade

140 S. C. B. Jago-on and B. C. Orillaneda

wreckage was strewn over a large area; possibly one square kilometre but the main
2
area may be approximately contained in a 300 m area (Oceaneering International,
Inc. 1987).
It took only nine months to construct the San Jose at the shipyard in Cavite. The
shipbuilders worked round the clock during her construction working even during
religious holydays that when she was wrecked, the clergy immediately attributed to
disrespect to the church having caused the disaster. All 400 people on board
allegedly perished along 12,000 pieces of cargo (Schurz 1985; Fish 2011).
The Underwater Archaeology Section of the National Museum of the
Philippines carried out the search for the San Jose in collaboration with the World
Wide First (WWF), a private research out!t led by Franck Goddio in a 127 km 2
area covering the waters between Cabral Island and northwest of Lubang Island.
A magnetometer survey was carried out around Tagbac Cove and detected two
anomalies of non-natural origins (Alba 1986).
The beach area where the suspected site is located yielded almost 1000 broken
pieces of high quality Chinese blue and white porcelains. Off shore and at a
maximum of 10 m deep, a number of shipwreck-related archaeological objects
were discovered (Alba 1986; Oceaneering International, Inc. 1987; Conese 1989).
These include broken Chinese blue and white porcelains, stoneware and earthen-
ware fragments, encrusted cannonballs, lead balls that are presumed to be musket
ammunitions as well as other metal artefacts including a sledge hammer, large nails
and copper bars. Remarkable objects that were recovered include gold chains and
silver objects, glass buttons, copper rings, parts of a rosary, brooches, gold and
silver parts of a sword hilt among others (Cuevas 1990; Conese 1990).
Although no evidence of an intact wreck was observed, a speci!c area contained
ship wooden remains that may well be the San Jose. One timber measured about
eight metres wide with a deck board of 30 25 cm and with nails protruding
vertically along its axis. Numerous pieces of broken blue and white porcelains of
the same type that was found on shore were also noted.
After three weeks of investigation, the researchers concluded that the site was
indeed the area where the San Jose perished. Many artefacts were still in situ but are
mostly embedded in the corals. In 1987, The Oceaneering International carried out
magnetometer, bathymetric as well as undersea visual survey using SCUBA at the
site’s location to assess the best method to excavate the site due to the area’s
complicated topography and some artefacts are buried beneath the corals
(Oceaneering International, Inc. 1987).

7.3.6 Santo Cristo de Burgos (1726)

Santo Cristode Burgos was an outbound Manila galleon under the command of
Captain General of the Sea Francisco Sanchez de Tagle. She sailed from Cavite on
July 8, 1726 (Fish 2011). She moored on the southeast coast of Ticao Island
between Sorsogon and Masbate while waiting for favourable winds when a sudden