Return looted shipwreck treasures to countries of origin as reparations for slavery, says lawyer

Shipwrecked colonial treasures that have lain on the seabed for centuries could be recovered and returned to their countries of origin as reparations for slavery. Tim Maxwell, an international cultural heritage lawyer, said repatriating artefacts found underwater could help former colonial powers meet moral obligations to countries they had historically exploited for their transatlantic trade. “Former colonial powers have dominated claims to ownership of these historic shipwrecks, even once brought on shore,” he said. “Spain in particular has been active in claiming the contents of colonial-era shipwrecks against private salvage companies. In general, ‘source’ countries have not had much of a look-in. This is an anomaly in a world where Commonwealth and other governments are demanding slavery reparations. Why should countries in the Caribbean, South America and elsewhere not be able to lay claim to their underwater cultural heritage?” Maxwell, a partner at London law firm Wedlake Bell, highlighted the example of a Spanish galleon, the San José, sunk by a British squadron in 1708. It went down with gold, silver and emeralds worth billions of dollars today – sparking ownership claims in recent years from Colombia, Spain, Bolivian Indigenous groups and a US salvage company. Although it lies in...