Diamond miners have unearthed a 500-year-old Portuguese vessel in the Namib Desert, near where it meets the Atlantic coast, laden with gold coins, copper ingots and ivory.
The Skeleton Coast have become a veritable boat graveyard over the centuries. The wreck in the image is not the wreck mentioned.
In an extraordinary archaeological discovery, the remains of a 16th-century Portuguese ship, along with a treasure trove of gold coins and navigational instruments, have been unearthed in the Namibian desert. The wreck was first discovered in 2008 by diamond miners working along Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. While excavating the area, part of the ship’s hull and numerous artefacts came to light, including bronze cannons, navigational tools and over 2,000 gold coins, primarily Portuguese cruzados and Spanish excelentes.
Identification
Experts believe that the ship is the Bom Jesus, which set sail from Lisbon for India, but disappeared en route around the Cape of Good Hope. The combination of dated coins, the ship’s design and its cargo helped to confirm its identity. The dry desert conditions have remarkably preserved parts of the ship and its contents.
The site is positioned around 800 metres from its current coastline, showing how much the sea has receded or the coastline has moved over the course of centuries. Researchers speculate that the ship was driven ashore during a storm and subsequently buried by shifting coastal sands.
Significance
According to archaeologist Dieter Noli, this is one of the most significant maritime discoveries ever made on the African continent. “It’s a very rare opportunity to find a shipwreck so intact on land,” he told local media. The gold coins, alongside elephant tusks, weaponry and items belonging to the crew, provide a vivid insight into early Portuguese seafaring and global trade.
Protected site
The site is now protected by the Namibian authorities, and key artefacts are preserved at the National Museum in Windhoek. This discovery sheds light not only on 16th-century navigation but also on the vast economic networks of the Age of Discovery.
Fact file
The Namib is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and northwest South Africa.
