Ghostly Goonies Shipwreck Origins

Maureen Lynch, Editor in Chief

For years, a treasure trove of beeswax and Chinese porcelain has been washing up on the Oregon coast, according to NPR. This led to abounding in the area, with locals telling stories of pirates and treasure, which is said to have inspired Steven Spielberg’s 1985 movie, “The Goonies.” In June, archaeologists uncovered the source behind these mysterious findings!

Over the summer, archaeologists from the Maritime Archaeological Society found shards of timber from a shipwreck of a Spanish galleon called the Santo Cristo de Burgos. Scott Williams, president of the archaeological society and member of the dig told CNN, the ship likely capsized in 1693, and locals have been finding pieces of cargo ever since. 

Researchers, according to Williams, believe that the ship capsized near Astoria, Oregon while on-route from the Philippines to Mexico. Explorers and settlers wrote about the wreck and Williams believes that these first pieces of timber are connected to the Santo Cristo de Burgos. 

Even though the ship wasn’t carrying thousands of pounds of gold from pirates, the ship was carrying valuable items. According to the Met Museum, porcelain in the 1600s was extremely popular, and expensive. So, to 1600s settlers, porcelain would have been considered treasure. 

The pieces of hull are currently being analyzed at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, according to CNN. As to whether or not Spielberg was inspired by this local legend, who knows? They declined a comment to CNN about the new discovery.