History

Spanish Officials Offer To Buy A Cup Of Coffee As A Thank You For Man Who Found Roman Anchor On Seabed

A Spanish man who went snorkelling has found a 1,700-year-old Roman anchor on the sea bottom, and was only invited for a coffee as a thank you by local officials.

The historical piece was found by a local resident, Felix Alacon, in the waters of Playa de Palma in Mallorca, Spain. He said that he has seen the object a while back during one of his snorkel missions, but its worth was revealed only recently after it was recovered by the Civil Guards.

Felix Alacon spoke with local news Ultima Hora saying: “I dive and snorkel most of the year. I know perfectly the Playa de Palma. Years ago I saw something at the bottom, I went to check it out because it was very smooth and straight for a stone.”

The Civil Guard has recovered a 1,700-year-old Roman anchor in the water off Playa de Palma, Spain in June 2021. (Newsflash)

He had later reported it, and the anchor that turned out to be Roman in origin was recovered at a depth of between 3 and 4 meters.

He said he had raised the alarm about the object when he learned that a short distance from where the anchor was located, a Roman ship had been discovered. The remains of the ship are still on location and Felix believed that possibly his discovery was connected to the recently discovered ship.

Felix said: “At the beginning of May I contacted the Civil Guard and I told them about the discovery. I didn’t want anyone to steal it.”

Unfortunately, when the Civil Guard arrived on location, a strong storm occurred, making it difficult for them to discover the anchor initially, but when it quietened they were able to fish it from the sea bottom.

Felix Alarcon, 62, was diving when he detected the anchor and called the Civil Guard who recovered a 1,700-year-old Roman anchor in the water off Playa de Palma, Spain in June 2021. (Newsflash)

After initial research, the agents confirmed that it was a petrified Roman anchor from the 3rd or 4th century. The find weighs around 150 kilos and is in relatively good condition.

Felix, who reported that he is very happy that the anchor ended in the right hands noted: “The politicians have not even thanked me for having discovered the Roman anchor.”

But he said he had at least been offered a small consolation, noting: “They invited me for a cup of coffee.”

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