One of the most astounding archeological discoveries in recent years is the recovery of a ship that went lost five centuries ago in the southwest African desert and had gold coins on board.
A Portuguese vessel sailed out of Lisbon on March 7, 1533. Its whereabouts were unknown when its bones were discovered in 2008, while diamond mining occurred off the coast of Namibia.
As it made its way towards India, a strong storm toppled it, stealing treasures including copper and gold ingots. On board the ship were discovered two thousand pieces of pure gold and tens of thousands of pounds of copper ingots, almost all of which were recovered undamaged.
In addition to cash, the ship in the desert carried a sizable load.
Dr. Noli, senior archaeologist at the Southern Africa Institute of Maritime Archaeological Research, said the finding of a shipwreck is not unusual because storms have been known to pound the shoreline recently.
However, gold pieces were uncovered in a treasure chest after just one week of excavation, and it was revealed that the money was from a Portuguese ship that had disappeared in 1533.
The ship is said to have been towed too close to the shoreline, causing the hull to collapse over and strike a rock during a storm off the coast of Namibia. It resurfaced in the desert after the waters off the shore retreated.
Did you know about this ship before?