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

Tim Maxwell, an international cultural heritage lawyer, emphasizes that repatriating underwater artefacts could fulfill moral obligations of former colonial powers to exploited nations.

Maxwell argues that while many European museums have begun returning colonial-era artefacts, the same principles should apply to underwater heritage from shipwrecks.

He highlights the case of the Spanish galleon San Jose, asserting that countries in the Caribbean and Latin America rightfully claim ownership to their shipwrecked cultural heritage.

Maxwell points out the paradox that although there’s a push for reparations, source countries have been largely overlooked in claims to underwater treasures.

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