The underwater archaeologist Alexandre Monteiro told Lusa News Agency that the main purpose of the mission was “to locate 16th century Portuguese ships that sank there using 21st century Portuguese technology” but acknowledged they may also find Babylonian, Assyrian and Sumerian vessels that shipped copper from Magan, the name that part of the world used to be called. The technology and scientific methodology “will be all domestic”, stressed Alexandre Monteiro, a researcher from the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation at Texas A&M University, and the University of Western Australia.
“Actually, the design and use of autonomous, unmanned, underwater vehicles is one of the areas where Portugal is really standing out in international partnerships to locate and explore underwater cultural
heritage,” he said.