Divers recover ‘unique’ liquor bottle from 1700s near Florida

Florida officials recently announced the discovery of two 18th-century “onion glasses” found in waters outside Florida. Sunshine State.

The Florida Department of Historic Resources announced the discovery Oct. 8 in a social media statement about the bottle’s recent restoration. In a Facebook post, the department shared old photos of the barnacle-covered bottle and updated photos of the restored artifact. The post credited “meticulous slow cleaning and drying” for the successful restoration.

“Peeling this onion was definitely a challenge!” I read your post. “Through meticulous and slow washing and drying, the bottles were left intact and cured with Paraloid B-72, an acrylic resin-based hardener commonly used to preserve glass and ceramics.”

Florida State Department Director of Foreign Affairs Mark Ard told Fox News Digital that the bottles are wreck Off the coast of Indian River County in 2021 and 2022.

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Florida authorities recently announced the restoration of two unique bottles from the 1700s. (Florida Department of Historic Resources via Facebook)

“Although the exact vessel has not been identified, it was part of the Spanish plate fleet that sailed from Cuba to Spain in 1715,” Ard explained. “In 1715, the Spanish Armada was lost at sea along the east coast of Florida after encountering a hurricane.”

Ard called the bottle a “rare” intact find, noting that the drinking vessel was empty when discovered.

An official explained, “It is presumed that it contains some type of alcohol.”

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“This bottle is extremely fragile, and it is incredible that it initially survived the destruction of the ship and then remained submerged under water for over 300 years, influenced by tidal forces.”

Florida officials said the bottles were likely manufactured in England. Each jar of onions is unique, Ard said.

Conservators worked diligently to carefully restore the bottles and remove barnacles from them. (Florida Department of Historic Resources via Facebook)

“Onion bottles are made by free blowing using pontile. They vary in size, shape and weight because each one is unique,” ​​he explained.

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“These are handcrafted by skilled artisans,” Ard added. “The onion jars would have been transported as cargo and also used by crew and passengers.”

Officials also emphasized how important this is. spanish treasure fleet World maritime trade was important in the 18th century.

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“The flow of goods and raw materials from Central and South America, and to a lesser extent Asia, was vital to the economy of the Kingdom of Spain, as well as many other countries in Europe,” he said. “Goods like chocolate aboard these ships fundamentally changed social habits that are still visible today.”

“In Spain, they made drinkable chocolate by mixing sugar and cacao. These chocolates were often served using specific porcelain containers from China, transported by the Plate Fleet.”

Ard told Fox News Digital the bottles are now available for loan as part of an artifact lending program.

The “Onion Bottles” are expertly crafted and each has a unique shape. (Florida Department of Historic Resources via Facebook)

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“In Florida, examples of onion jars on loan from the department are on display at the Miami History Museum, the Pensacola History Museum and the McLarty Treasure Museum in Sebastian, Indian River County,” he explained.