8620 sunken treasure ships discovered in Portuguese waters

An underwater archaeologist discovered 8620 sunken ships in Portuguese waters, of which about 250 may contain lost treasures. The discovery covers coastal areas of mainland Portugal, as well as waters around the Azores and Madeira. This is reported by Yahoo News.

Alexandre Monteiro, a researcher from Nova University in Lisbon, presented results based on a detailed database of shipwrecks dating back to the 1500s. "I documented about 7500 shipwrecks along the mainland coast, 1000 near the Azores, and 120 near Madeira," he told the Portuguese agency Lusa.

Monteiro noted that approximately 250 ships in Portuguese territorial waters may contain treasures. "For example, off the coast of Troia, there is a Spanish vessel built in 1589 called Nossa Senhora do Rosário. I studied its history and even know the name of the captain's mother. According to official records, it was carrying 22 tons of gold and silver," he said.

When asked about the government's reaction, Monteiro replied that the data had been published, but no action followed. He also ruled out the threat of treasure hunter raids, explaining: "This is unlikely, as most of the wreckage is buried under sand."

Earlier, scientists discovered a sunken city off the coast of Australia, dubbed the new Atlantis, which in ancient times was inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people.