Timber From The Shipwreck That May Have Inspired The Goonies Unearthed In Oregon
There was some thrilling archaeology news in 2022 for fans of Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film The Goonies. His treasure-hunting movie was possibly inspired by tales of a mysterious shipwreck off the Oregon coast, and archaeologists announced this year that they found timber from the wreck.
The shipwreck, which dates to the 17th century, has also been dubbed the “Beeswax Wreck”. For years, beachgoers near Manzanita, Oregon have found chunks of beeswax along the coast — and many locals believe the beeswax came from the wreck. Some have also found pieces of porcelain.
But in 2020, a beachcomber named Craig Andes alerted the Maritime Archaeological Society (MAS) about timber he found in a nearby cave.
Salem Public LibraryOregonians have found beeswax on this beach for years, leading many to believe that a ship carrying beeswax had wrecked near the coast. Here, a man holds beeswax found on the beach during the 1950s.
The MAS had long suspected that the Spanish galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos had wrecked off the Oregon coast in 1693 while sailing between the Philippines and Mexico. And sure enough, an examination of the timber revealed that it came from Asian wood that was cut down around 1650.
But even though the researchers are thrilled with this discovery, they’re eager to find the rest of the vessel that likely inspired The Goonies.
“We haven’t found what we would call ‘The Wreck,'” MAS president Scott Williams explained. “We don’t know if something like ‘The Wreck’ exists.”
