In 2008, a diamond mining operation near Orangemond, Namibia, uncovered an important piece of history: the wreckage of the Portuguese merchant ship Bom Jesus, which was lost at sea in 1533, was discovered after more than 500 years of being buried under layers of sand and water. The discovery has led archaeologists to view the wreckage as a time capsule from the Age of Discovery, with the ship’s contents almost perfectly preserved thanks to the copper ingots carried on board, which protected the ship from the erosion of the ocean. The discovery of Bom Jesus opens up new opportunities to study the global trade routes of the 16th century, the shipbuilding techniques of the time, and the dangers early explorers faced on their journeys across the treacherous Atlantic Ocean.
Gold, ivory and cannons: 500-year-old shipwreck found in desert
According to China Dailysailor’s mirrorOn March 7, 1533, the Merci Jesus set sail from Lisbon for the Indian subcontinent, carrying trade goods. Historical analysis by archaeologists and historians suggests that the ship sank during a severe storm, causing it to be pushed toward the Namibian coast by waves before crashing into a ledge. As most of the human remains have yet to be found, it is believed that some of the crew survived the initial sinking, but the ship and its valuable cargo were buried under the sands of the Skeleton Coast for approximately 500 years.
How toxic cargo preserves history
During the excavation of the wreck, experts discovered more than 40 tons of cargo, including a wide variety of artifacts that had not been cleared in large part because they were located in an area previously prohibited from diamond mining. As reported by the Sailor’s Mirror, the shipment included thousands of gold and silver coins, bronze cannons, nautical astrolabes and hundreds of ivory tusks. One of the more interesting things about these items is that they were found in a well-preserved state (including organic material), as the copper cargo had antiseptic properties that prevented marine life from consuming the wreck’s organic remains.
What ivory and copper reveal early global trade
The copper ingots (weighing approximately 17 tons), bearing the trident of the Fugger family of Augsburg, Germany, are one of the most important maritime archaeological finds in southern Africa and evidence of extensive trade between Renaissance Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. Tusks also found provide scientists with important information about the historical populations of forest elephants in West Africa and how early global trade affected the environment.
