The intrigue continues in the case of the $500 million underwater treasure: a U.S. judge has ruled that the location of the find will be kept secret for now. Sensible enough it would seem;
The judge ruled that although artifact summaries and pictures are not confidential, “in the interest of protecting the site, other information including the preliminary site assessments, the site plans, the photographs of the sea bed and the photomosaics should remain confidential at this time.”
What makes the decision crucial though is the case presented by the Spanish government – they claim that if the treasure was on a Spanish ship, or was found in Spanish waters, then they hold the rights to the treasure.
This has the makings of a huge case. Half a billion dollars worth at stake – not to mention the lives and careers of the treasure hunters, as Spain has considered charging them with stealing of Spanish heritage objects.
