Have marine archaeologists found Cortés’ lost fleet?
Posted On: Jan 30th, 2019 at 15:48
Mexico / Spain
An anchor thought to be from one of Hernán Cortés ships may in fact be a part of the “lost fleet” that was scuttled on the orders of the Conquistador.
Exactly 500 years since the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico, we know the outcome for the indigenous populations. Not only did Cortés overthrow the Aztec king, but most of the Maya, Aztec, and other populations were wiped out as new diseases swept across the land. The central Americans, like their southern counterparts, had no immunity to the diseases that were so rife in Europe, and smallpox and syphilis have been attributed as the most likely candidates. Millions of natives died in just a few years.
As the article says, the arrival of the Spanish changed history, and while we recoil in horror at the brutality of the genocide, and the invaluable texts that the Spanish burned in the name of religion and which are lost forever, on the flip side mass sacrifice was outlawed. Instead of hearts being ripped out, people were tortured to death if they didn’t conform to Christianity. Quite frankly, I’m not sure which is worse…
