The Archaeology of Manila Galleons in the American Continent

This is the first book devoted to the topic of Manila galleon shipwrecks in North America; previous research on Manila galleons either has focused on the economics of the Manila galleon trade or has been limited to reports of the galleon wreck sites in the western Pacific salvaged for their cargoes. All three North American shipwrecks are protected under the historic preservation laws of the United States or Mexico, and each shipwreck site has been investigated by professional archaeologists seeking to answer research questions posed in peer-reviewed research designs. 

The majority of Manila galleon wrecks are found in the western Pacific and were salvaged by treasure hunters rather than recovered by archaeologists. The three North American shipwrecks represent the most protected Manila galleon archaeological sites, so their potential for future archaeological research is higher than for many of the extant shipwrecks of the western Pacific.

“The volume delves deep through the lost maritime history of the Spanish in the Asia-Pacific region and wonderfully contributes to the maritime archaeological community. ... The keynotes, we realize from this volume, are that of 400 or so voyages made by Manila Galleons during nearly 250 years, slightly less than 15% ended in a wrecked or lost vessel, with few truly lost to the Spanish and never seen again after leaving the Philippines.” (Chunming Wu, Journal of Maritime Archaeology, Vol. 18 (1), 2023)

Scott Williams has over thirty-five years of experience conducting archaeological research throughout the Pacific Northwest, Oceania, and Australia. He is the Cultural Resources Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Transportation, where he oversees the agency’s archaeology and history program. In addition to his full-time job with the Washington State DOT, he is on the Board of the Maritime Archaeological Society and serves as the Principal Investigator for the Beeswax Wreck Project, a non-profit, multi-disciplinary project investigating the wreck of the Spanish Manila galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos, wrecked on the north Oregon coast in 1693.  

Dr. Roberto Junco is an archaeologist graduated from the National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH) where he studied a master's degree and PhD in Archeology. He received a diploma in Historical Archeology from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. He is currently an Affiliated Scholar of the Institute of Nautical Archeology (INA), member of the Society for Historical Archeology (SHA), ICUCH, ICOMOS and Board Member of ACUA. He has been in charge of the Underwater Archeology office of INAH since 2017, where he has been working since 2004. Among the projects he has directed are: Underwater Archeology in the Volcano “Nevado de Toluca”; Manila Galleon, Baja California; Maritime Archeology of the Port of Acapulco and Underwater Archeology in Villa Rica.