326-year-old beeswax is washing up on Oregon beaches

Stephen Hegg

Stephen Hegg Jan 29, 2019

Jan 29, 2019

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                <h1>326-year-old beeswax is washing up on Oregon beaches</h1>
                <h2><p>In the late 1600s, a Spanish galleon from Manila went down in a storm off the Oregon coast. Its cargo? A bounty of beeswax, used for candles to light the churches and major institutions of the Spanish colonies. Beeswax and other artifacts from the epic shipwreck are still being found</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/stephenhegg-crosscut-com/">Stephen Hegg</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jan 29, 2019</time></p>
            </header>
            <figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://player.pbs.org/partnerplayer/XaUbIbjppTBPZOVRe9GvAQ==/?start=0&amp;end=0&amp;topbar=false&amp;autoplay=true&amp;endscreen=false" width="100%"></iframe></figure><p>In the late 1600s, a Spanish galleon from Manila went down in a storm off the Oregon coast. Its cargo? A bounty of beeswax, used for candles to light the churches and major institutions of the Spanish colonies. Beeswax and other artifacts from the epic shipwreck are still being found on beaches today. In this edition of Mossback's Northwest, Knute Berger recalls the complicated journey that some observers say resulted in the first-ever contact between Europeans and Northwest indigenous peoples.</p>
          </article>

In the late 1600s, a Spanish galleon from Manila went down in a storm off the Oregon coast. Its cargo? A bounty of beeswax, used for candles to light the churches and major institutions of the Spanish colonies. Beeswax and other artifacts from the epic shipwreck are still being found on beaches today. In this edition of Mossback's Northwest, Knute Berger recalls the complicated journey that some observers say resulted in the first-ever contact between Europeans and Northwest indigenous peoples.

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By Stephen Hegg

Stephen is formerly a senior video producer at Crosscut and KCTS 9. He specialized in arts and culture, and produced Mossback’s Northwest and Crosscut NOW. Stephen’s credits include documentaries, ser