Family of shipwreck hunting scavengers find the missing piece of a 300-year-old sacred necklace

[flamingdem]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2710789/Family-shipwreck-hunting-scavengers-missing-piece-300-year-old-sacred-necklace.html

A Florida family scavenging for sunken treasure on a shipwreck has found the missing piece of a 300-year-old gold filigree necklace sacred to Spanish priests, officials said on Tuesday.

Eric Schmitt, a professional salvager, was scavenging with his parents when he found the crumpled, square-shaped ornament on a leisure trip to hunt for artifacts in the wreckage of a convoy of 11 ships that sank in 1715 during a hurricane off central Florida's east coast.

After the discovery last month, a team of Spanish historians realized the piece fit together with another artifact recovered 25 years ago.





The square-shaped ornament is believed to be from 1715, when a fleet of Spanish ships were hit by a hurricane

Ownership will be split between the state of Florida, the owner of the wreck site and the Schmitt family

[Adsos Letter]

1. Wow!

That is some amazingly intricate filigree.

[flamingdem]

2. I don't think fingers exist that can do that anymore

Probably done by Peruvians in less than perfect employment situations. Not sure.

[Adsos Letter]

3. I'd say that's an educated guess.

And probably correct.

[littlemissmartypants]

4. If only it could talk. eom

[pansypoo53219]

5. no teevee. they had TIME to fill.

[TexasProgresive]

6. It's a pyx used to carry Holy Communion to the sick.

The Host would be in the center. But what I want to know is what is a "high priest" in the Catholic faith other than Jesus?
From the Daily Mail piece: "It formed an accessory called a pyx, worn on a chain around a high priest’s neck to carry the communion host."

I wish the picture or the article gave the dimensions of this thing. I'm thinking it must be at least 4" X 6" when closed.

Edit to add-Here's a better article from the Orlando Sentinel giving the size like an iPhone in a case:
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-07-29/news/os-sanford-family-finds-sunken-treasure-20140729_1_lisa-schmitt-queens-jewels-llc-brent-brisben

[flamingdem]

7. Thanks for the link!