both the nature of unesco ’s outright rejection of clifford ’s site , and some of the organisation ’s proposed alternatives , are likely to prove controversial .
unesco – which has now examined clifford ’s wreck – believes that it is not the santa maria , but that the real final resting place of columbus ' flagship could be relatively nearby .
the report also admits that no tests which might have revealed the objects ’ ages .
 
unesco experts , who had travelled to haiti to examine the wreck , said artefacts found at the site " were those of a more recent ship , being of copper alloy , while the santa maria should have had iron andor wood fixations " .
 
 
a us marine archaeologist had said in may that he believed he had found the wreck of columbus 's flagship .
an official unesco report issued today largely ignores 11 - year - old photographic evidence for what could be columbus - era cannon on the site .