A 500 year old shipwreck was recently discovered off the coast of Southern Namibia. This find may possibly be the 2nd largest find in Africa, the pyramids in Egypt remaining the largest. The ship is believed to be Portuguese in origin and Francisco Alves, maritime archaeologist, stated that "the cultural uniqueness of this find is priceless".
The ship is remarkably well preserved and contains many historical treasures. The ships cargo included elephant tusks, a variety of weaponry, pewter tableware, several tonnes of copper and tin, and navigational instrument. The ship also contained more than $100 million dollars worth of gold and silver coins. The coins were minted in both Spain and Portugal as late as 1525. The coinage makes this find more significant, and is the reason archaeologists are speculating that this ship may be the "largest" (meaning wealthiest) find since Egypt.
The ship is located in a mining district and the costs of sea-walling to protect the excavation site cannot be maintained after October 10th. Archaeologists believe there is still more to be found, but they are running out of time.
The Namibian government intends to open a museum to display this rare find.
No comments:
Post a Comment