The discovery of a ship that disappeared five centuries ago in a desert in southwestern Africa, carrying gold coins, is one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries of recent years. On Friday, March 7, 1533, a Portuguese ship set sail from Lisbon. Its location remained unknown until 2008, when its remains were discovered near the coast during diamond mining operations in the Namib Desert in Namibia. Except for a few isolated bone fragments, the condition of the ship at the time of its discovery suggests that the storm that caused the disaster was extremely violent; however, the absence of human remains indicates that most of the crew either drowned at sea or managed to escape the wreck. “This gives new meaning to the concept of a gold-laden ship,” Dr. Noli explained to News Com, Australia.
A more in-depth investigation revealed the presence of bronze shells, and eventually, the long metal rods were found to be cannons. Dr. Noli’s team also discovered metal fragments suggesting that a shipwreck was buried in the sand, in addition to a musket, which they estimated to be at least 500 years old. Cannons, swords, astrological instruments, a compass, and even a time capsule were found. Additionally, silver coins were discovered.
A long-lost ship filled with gold has been discovered in the desert. Based on the details of the disaster, Dr. Noli and other experts believe that the ship sailed from its home port in Lisbon, Portugal, toward the southern tip of Africa, heading for the Indies. Similar Portuguese ships carrying the same cargo often followed this route at the time. The Bom Jesus is now considered the most valuable and oldest shipwreck ever discovered off the west coast of sub-Saharan Africa. The area where the ship was found was called a restricted zone because hundreds of German prospectors had traveled there in search of diamonds.
