credit: JamPress
Archaeologists have discovered a 300-year-old shipwreck with a hoard of treasure, but the fate of the 200 slaves on board remains unknown.
The Portuguese ship which is believed to be the Nossa Senhora do Cabo fell victim to pirates in 1721 off the coast of Madagascar.
It was transporting around 200 slaves and cargo from Goa, India, to Lisbon when it became involved in what is considered one of the most infamous pirate raids in history on the Portuguese empire.
But after 16 years of investigation, researchers at the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation found the wreck in Ambodifotatra Bay, near the island of Nosy Boraha.
More than 3,300 artefacts have since been pulled from the site, which includes religious icons, pearls and treasure chests.
An ivory plaque was also discovered with gold letters reading ‘INRI’, which is a Latin abbreviation for ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’.
Researchers Brandon A. Clifford and Mark R. Agostini from Brown University who led the research said the haul is ‘eyewatering treasure, even by pirate standards’.
The haul could be worth £108 million in today’s currency.
Enslaved people who were forced to travel on the route were then made to work in ports and mines throughout the Portuguese Empire.
Ships through the key route between India and Europe were often prime targets for pirates.
Pirates would also sell enslaved people for a profit.
It comes after Captain Cook’s missing ship, the HMS Endeavour, was found after 250 years.
For two centuries this ship has been lost, but now the wreck has been found in Newport Harbour, Rhode Island. The finding of the ship was announced in a report by the Australian National Maritime Museum.
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