At the request of the Panamanian government, UNESCO sent two scientific missions to Panama and prepared a report on the state of conservation of the historic wreck of the San José, a Spanish galleon that sank in the archipelago of Las Perlas in the 17th century. A commercial company, Investigaciones Marinas del Istmo (IMDI), has been under contract to salvage the shipwreck since 2003.

The States Parties to UNESCO's Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage meeting in Paris on 28 and 29 April, 2015, decided to accept the request of the National Institute of Culture of Panama by sending both missions. Their objective was to evaluate, in cooperation with Panamanian experts, the actions implemented by Investigaciones Marinas del Istmo, the company in charge to identify, extract and commercialize the objects coming from the galleon wreck. The experts would also propose a management plan for the conservation of the San José and the goods remaining after the shipwreck.

The missions took place in July and October, 2015, respectively. Members of the 2001 Convention Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) were in charge of both.

Among the conclusions expressed by the experts in the final report (December 2015), figure that “The archaeological survey methodology […] was not carried out according to current standards of professional archaeological practice.” So, the use of propeller deflectors that generate powerful jets of water to “excavate” the site, has damaged both the archaeological heritage of the galleon and its natural environment. This fact makes impossible a future precise documentation of the site.

These methods are contrary to international standards as laid out in the Annex of UNESCO’s Convention that has been ratified by Panama, according to the report. The experts also noted that some of the artefacts the company in charge of the exploitation of the site presented as coming from the San José, probably date from a later period. In July 2015, Panama’s National Directorate of Historical Heritage moreover seized material coming from the galleon as they were about to be exported without the necessary permits.

The experts also denounced the mercantile approach to the project, which focused exclusively on the search for material of commercial value. They recommend that all activities relating the underwater heritage be carried out in conformity with the principles of the UNESCO Convention, which prioritizes the protection of underwater archaeological sites. They also encourage the Panamanian authorities to promote a scientific approach to underwater archaeology and organize an exhibition about the remains of the San José.

At the request of the Panamanian government, UNESCO sent two scientific missions to Panama and prepared a report on the state of conservation of the historic wreck of the San José, a Spanish galleon that sank in the archipelago of Las Perlas in the 17th century. A commercial company, Investigaciones Marinas del Istmo (IMDI), has been under contract to salvage the shipwreck since 2003.

The States Parties to UNESCO's Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage meeting in Paris on 28 and 29 April, 2015, decided to accept the request of the National Institute of Culture of Panama by sending both missions. Their objective was to evaluate, in cooperation with Panamanian experts, the actions implemented by Investigaciones Marinas del Istmo, the company in charge to identify, extract and commercialize the objects coming from the galleon wreck. The experts would also propose a management plan for the conservation of the San José and the goods remaining after the shipwreck.

The missions took place in July and October, 2015, respectively. Members of the 2001 Convention Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) were in charge of both.

Among the conclusions expressed by the experts in the final report (December 2015), figure that “The archaeological survey methodology […] was not carried out according to current standards of professional archaeological practice.” So, the use of propeller deflectors that generate powerful jets of water to “excavate” the site, has damaged both the archaeological heritage of the galleon and its natural environment. This fact makes impossible a future precise documentation of the site.

These methods are contrary to international standards as laid out in the Annex of UNESCO’s Convention that has been ratified by Panama, according to the report. The experts also noted that some of the artefacts the company in charge of the exploitation of the site presented as coming from the San José, probably date from a later period. In July 2015, Panama’s National Directorate of Historical Heritage moreover seized material coming from the galleon as they were about to be exported without the necessary permits.

The experts also denounced the mercantile approach to the project, which focused exclusively on the search for material of commercial value. They recommend that all activities relating the underwater heritage be carried out in conformity with the principles of the UNESCO Convention, which prioritizes the protection of underwater archaeological sites. They also encourage the Panamanian authorities to promote a scientific approach to underwater archaeology and organize an exhibition about the remains of the San José.At the request of the Panamanian government, UNESCO sent two scientific missions to Panama and prepared a report on the state of conservation of the historic wreck of the San José, a Spanish galleon that sank in the archipelago of Las Perlas in the 17th century. A commercial company, Investigaciones Marinas del Istmo (IMDI), has been under contract to salvage the shipwreck since 2003.

The States Parties to UNESCO's Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage meeting in Paris on 28 and 29 April, 2015, decided to accept the request of the National Institute of Culture of Panama by sending both missions. Their objective was to evaluate, in cooperation with Panamanian experts, the actions implemented by Investigaciones Marinas del Istmo, the company in charge to identify, extract and commercialize the objects coming from the galleon wreck. The experts would also propose a management plan for the conservation of the San José and the goods remaining after the shipwreck.

The missions took place in July and October, 2015, respectively. Members of the 2001 Convention Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) were in charge of both.

Among the conclusions expressed by the experts in the final report (December 2015), figure that “The archaeological survey methodology […] was not carried out according to current standards of professional archaeological practice.” So, the use of propeller deflectors that generate powerful jets of water to “excavate” the site, has damaged both the archaeological heritage of the galleon and its natural environment. This fact makes impossible a future precise documentation of the site.

These methods are contrary to international standards as laid out in the Annex of UNESCO’s Convention that has been ratified by Panama, according to the report. The experts also noted that some of the artefacts the company in charge of the exploitation of the site presented as coming from the San José, probably date from a later period. In July 2015, Panama’s National Directorate of Historical Heritage moreover seized material coming from the galleon as they were about to be exported without the necessary permits.

The experts also denounced the mercantile approach to the project, which focused exclusively on the search for material of commercial value. They recommend that all activities relating the underwater heritage be carried out in conformity with the principles of the UNESCO Convention, which prioritizes the protection of underwater archaeological sites. They also encourage the Panamanian authorities to promote a scientific approach to underwater archaeology and organize an exhibition about the remains of the San José.