Rare Glass Bottles Were Recovered From An 18th-Century Shipwreck Off The Coast Of Florida
Off the coast of Florida, several rare glass bottles were recovered from an 18th-century shipwreck. The ship was part of the 1715 Treasure Fleet, a group of ships that sank after sailing into a hurricane in July 1715 while on their way back to Spain from Cuba.
The fleet had been carrying valuable goods back to Europe, such as precious metals, gemstones, and tobacco. It was sometimes referred to as the “Plate Fleet” because the ships were hauling an abundance of silver coins called “plata.”
When they sailed into the hurricane along Florida’s east coast, 11 of the ships sank, killing about 1,500 crew members.
Since then, both pirates and researchers alike have been salvaging objects from the wreckage. In 2021 and 2022, divers found a trove of artifacts. Among the collection were two glass “onion bottles” that are the rarest discoveries to date.
The glass onion bottles are named for their bulbous shape. They were likely created by a skilled English craftsman and used to hold wine or liquor that was shared among the ship’s crew.
Each onion bottle is unique in size, shape, and weight because they were free-blown with a pontile, also known as a metal rod. Even though they spent more than 300 years underwater, the bottles were still in good condition.
“These bottles are very fragile, and for them to first survive the destruction of the ship and then being submerged underwater for over 300 years where they were subject to tidal forces is incredible, ” said Mark Ard, a spokesperson for Florida’s Department of State.
Experts worked tirelessly for about seven months to restore the glass bottles. The first step was to remove the sand, salt, and tiny marine creatures that had accumulated on the vessels throughout the years.
The bottles had also begun to experience “delamination,” a process in which the glass starts to flake from the surface, creating an iridescent sheen.
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After giving the bottles a thorough cleaning and letting them dry fully, the specialists coated the glass in several layers of an acrylic resin called Paraloid B-72 to preserve it. It will help prevent any more glass from flaking off and give the bottles a fresh, new shine.
Florida officials have not yet revealed the identity of the ship. However, they did share that the wreck is near Indian River County, which is located about 150 miles north of Miami.
Across Florida, multiple examples of onion bottles are on display in institutions, including History Miami, the Pensacola Museum of History, and the McLarty Treasure Museum.
Now, the newly restored onion bottles are part of Florida’s Artifact Loan Program, which allows qualified academics, museums, and institutions across the globe to borrow them for research and educational purposes. Nearly 100,000 objects are involved in the program.
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