The discovery of a ship, missing for five centuries, in a southwest African desert filled with gold coins, is one of the most thrilling archaeological finds in recent times, reports Greek Reporter.
About the ship
The Bom Jesus (The Good Jesus) was a Portuguese vessel that set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on Friday, March 7, 1533. Its fate remained unknown until 2008 when its remains were discovered in the Namibian desert during diamond mining operations near the coast of the African nation.
The ship sank in a fierce storm while on its way to India, laden with treasures like gold and copper ingots. Remarkably, 2,000 pure gold coins and tens of thousands of pounds of copper ingots were discovered on the Bom Jesus, almost all intact.
It is speculated that the Bom Jesus sank when it was pulled too close to shore in a storm off the coast of Namibia, causing the ship’s hull to collide with a rock and capsize. As the coastline waters receded, the Bom Jesus reemerged in the desert.
The condition of the ship suggests that the storm causing the shipwreck was especially violent. However, the absence of human remains (besides a few scattered bone fragments) suggests that most of the crew on board survived the wreck or died at sea.
Dr. Noli, the chief archaeologist of the Southern Africa Institute of Maritime Archaeological Research, noted that the coastline was notorious for storms, so finding a shipwreck was hardly surprising. However, it was a week into the excavation that a treasure chest laden with gold was found, with the coins indicating it had come from a Portuguese ship that had disappeared in 1533.
Further investigation revealed the discovery of bronze bowls, long metal poles later found to be cannons, a musket estimated to be at least 500 years old, and bits of metal indicating a shipwreck buried in the sand. The team also found compasses, swords, astronomical tools, cannons, and even a time capsule. Silver coins were also discovered.
Little is known about the history of the Bom Jesus itself, but it is speculated that the ship was part of a class of naval vessels that were larger, more efficient, and more durable than previous Portuguese and Spanish vessels to facilitate the longer-distance expeditions carried out by Portuguese fleets during this time.
Based on the contents of the shipwreck, Dr. Noli and other scholars believe the ship was on course for Western India from its home port in Lisbon, Portugal, around the southern tip of Africa, a common route for similar Portuguese vessels carrying the same cargo.
Today, the Bom Jesus is the oldest known and most valuable shipwreck ever discovered off the western coast of Sub-Saharan Africa.
The area where the ship was found was called Sperrgebiet, or “forbidden territory,” after the hundreds of German prospectors who ventured to the region in search of diamonds. Diamond company DeBeers and the Namibian government still run a joint operation in the area, according to CNN, and the area remains largely out of sight.
The remnants of the shipwreck remain protected by mining security, with limited numbers allowed onto the site. An idea for a museum has been proposed, but it remains to be seen whether it will occur.
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Source: Greek Reporter
