Excellent information as always, my friend. Thank you for asking your archeology friend for what he might have found on Spanish wrecks. From the swept-hilt found on the Atocha, one can understand Gilkerson's comment on rapier-types being carried. It stands to reason that the conquestadors would have carried either broadswords or rapiers, both popular during the period.
-Treasure finds over-shadowing the 'less valuable' everyday items. You hit that one right on the head, Jim. It drives me crazy that when it comes to Spanish ships, all of the info on them concentrates on the gold, silver, precious artifacts and gems. I've even seen so-called professional articles do the same thing, where a little side note will say something like 'also found were daggers, sword hilts, cannonballs clustered together', etc, etc, with absolutely no detail. It's maddening!
-QAR dagger hilt find. Yes, we discussed this one before and I am in total agreement that it is later period and from a later wreck. Blackbeard's sword-
Right! There is a reason they call the Outer Banks the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic'. I'm sure if they went digging all along the shallows of Ocracoke Sound, they'd find even more unidentified wrecks. Used to know an acquaintance who dived out there and would find worm-eaten musket stocks, CW buckles, lead shot, cannon balls, etc.