From the material remains found in the excavation of the wreck, it is possible to reconstruct daily life on board the galleon. The first evidence that can be extracted is that it was a ship with a clear military mission, given that the ceramics found have a clear function of food storage and domestic use. No objects of great value were found, although we must not forget that the ship was salvaged, and therefore, the most valuable objects may have been recovered at that time.

On the other hand, the archaeometric analyses carried out (thermoluminescence and spectroscopy, among others) allow us to understand that the ceramics have different origins, so that they were most probably taken on board during the different stopovers of the galleon’s journey between Naples and Lisbon. Analysing their morphology, at least 9.7% of the identifiable ceramics are Andalusian.

The functions of the ceramics are not always certain. We are sure that the jars carried olive oil, and possibly other foodstuffs, while the cups were certainly used for drinking water. The pots, on the other hand, seem to have a function directly related to storage. They are shaped in such a way that they can be stacked one on top of the other, tied together with ropes to prevent breakage. Although cloth sacks and wooden barrels would have been the main method of storage for flour or cereals, some foods would have been better protected inside ceramic jars in view of insects, dampness and other reasons for food spoilage.

The written documentation also provides us with valuable information about the food that was taken on board. On leaving Lisbon in October 1597, a document was drawn up in which the most important foodstuffs that had been loaded on board were recorded in tonnes: wine, smoked bacon, fish, olive oil, vinegar, rice, chickpeas, beans, wheat, flour, barley, salt and pepper. These reflect the main sources of food on board the ships of the Iberian armadas.