Submerged Archaeological Conservancy International (SACI) is thrilled to announce our recent designation as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by the IRS!
Two Additional Anchors Found in Search for the Lost Ships of Spanish Conquistador, Hernán Cortés
Researchers move a step closer to one of the most important archaeological finds in history.
In July of 1519, in a bold act that changed the course of history, Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortés, ordered his men to sink all but one of the 11 ships they sailed from Cuba to what is now Mexico. It was a remarkable act of “all or nothing” commitment that has become legend, and Cortés’s subsequent conquest of Mexico irrevocably altered the New World and set world geopolitics on a course that continues today. The remains of those scuttled ships have never been found. But five hundred years later, new clues are bringing an international team of researchers tantalizingly closer.
SACI Moves Forward with 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Status
The SACI Board of Directors has moved forward with acquiring 501(c)(3) status with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). We anticipate a response from the IRS within two to six months. Any donations received before tax exempt status is granted will receive a formal letter designating that donation as a tax-deductible donation to our organization after we’ve received tax exempt status.
Searching for the Lost Ships of Cortés
The discovery of a centuries-old anchor may help a UM researcher and fellow underwater archeologists find the fleet the Spanish conquistador scuttled before conquering Mexico.
In July of 1519, in a brazen act that would upend history, Spanish conquistador HernánCortés ordered his men to sink all but one of the 11 ships they sailed from Cuba to Mexico on a supposed exploratory mission.
Nearly 500 years later, the fleet’s final resting place remains unknown. But members of an international team of underwater archaeologists who are conducting the first modern-day search for the scuttled vessels, as well as 16 others that Cortés sank a year later, have found an anchor that provides the first compelling clue to the location of the lost ships. They made their discovery by combining archival and historical data about Spanish conquistadors and the Aztec empire with the best available science, technology, and local community knowledge to survey the seafloor for remains of his fleet.
Lost Ships of Cortés Project featured on National Geographic
SACI is thrilled to announce that The Lost Ships of Hernán Cortés Project has been featured in the December 2018 National Geographic. The article is available here: Exclusive: New Clue Surfaces in underwater hunt for conquistador’s lost ships
Anchor discovery provides tantalizing clues in search for the Lost Ships of Cortés
In July of 1519, in a brazen act that would upend history, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés ordered his men to sink all but one of the 11 ships they sailed from Cuba to Mexico on a supposed exploratory mission.
Nearly five hundred years later, the fleet’s final resting place remains undiscovered. But an international collaboration of underwater archaeologists is conducting the first modern-day search for the scuttled vessels, as well as 16 others that Cortés sank a year later. Their method: combining modern science and technology with local community knowledge to survey the seafloor for the remains of Cortés’ fleet.