- Discovery Near Malindi Could Be One of the Earliest European Shipwrecks.
- Artifacts Suggest Sixteenth-Century Portuguese Shipwreck in the Indian Ocean.
- Divers Uncover Copper and Elephant Tusks at Suspected Sao Jorge Site.
The Sao Jorge, reportedly one of Vasco da Gama’s ships, met its end just before that great explorer died. A confirmed wreck would be one of the earliest European shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean, reports Explorers Web.
Discovery of the Wreck
The wreck was discovered in 2013, six meters underwater, off Malindi, Kenya, by divers. Surrounding the submerged ship, there were copper ingots, elephant tusks, and fragments of the hull’s timbers.
Dating the Artifacts
“The provisional dates of the artifacts point to a shipwreck on the outward journey to India and a shipwreck date in the first quarter of the sixteenth century,” the researchers said in a statement.
Ongoing Investigations
To affirm the identity of the wreckage as the Sao Jorge, the team is to conduct archaeological surveys of nearby coral reefs. These reefs stretch 25 kilometres from the beach resort town of Malindi to Ras Ngomeni.
Filipe Castro, a nautical archaeologist leading the study, expressed cautious optimism: “We still aren’t sure if the wreckage belongs to the Sao Jorge, but if so, it is a treasure.”
Portuguese Shipwrecks of the 1500s
The Malindi area is known for its Portuguese shipwrecks dating back to the early 1500s. During this period, Portugal pioneered the galleon—a versatile vessel with three or four masts that could serve both for exploration and warfare. “The design was copied across Europe and changed the history of European expansion,” said Castro.
If proven, the discovery of the Sao Jorge would bring invaluable insights into early European exploration, maritime innovation, and the role of Portuguese seafaring in world history.
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Source: Explorers Web
