In 2008, a diamond mining operation near Oranjemund, Namibia resulted in the discovery of an important piece of history when the wreck of the Portuguese merchant ship Bom Jesus, lost at sea in 1533, was found after being buried under layers of sand and water for more than 500 years. The discovery allows archaeologists to view the wreck as a time capsule of the era of Discovery, with the ship’s contents almost perfectly preserved, thanks to the ship’s cargo of copper ingots, which provided protection to the ship from marine degradation. The discovery of Bom Jesus has opened up many new opportunities to study the global trade routes of the 16th century, as well as the shipbuilding techniques of the time and the dangers faced by early explorers during their journeys through the dangerous Atlantic Ocean.

Gold, ivory and cannons: 500-year-old shipwreck discovered in desert sands

According to a report bymariner’s mirror‘, On March 7, 1533, Bom Jesus departed from Lisbon en route to the Indian subcontinent with trade goods that were taken on board. Historical analysis by archaeologists and historians indicates that the ship capsized during a severe storm, which caused waves to wash towards the coast of Namibia and then collided with a reef. Since most human remains have not been found, it is believed that some crew members survived the initial sinking, but the ship and its valuable cargo remained buried beneath the sands of the Skeleton Coast for nearly 500 years.

How a poisonous cargo preserved history

During the excavation of the wreck, experts found more than 40 tons of material – including an incredible variety of artefacts that had largely escaped cleanup because they were located in an area previously protected from diamond mining. The shipment included thousands of gold and silver coins, bronze cannons, navigational astrolabes and several hundred pieces of ivory, according to a report, ‘The Mariner’s Mirror’. Another interesting thing about these objects is that they were found in a well-preserved state (including organic material) due to the biocidal properties of copper wares, which prevented marine organisms from eating the organic remains of sunken ships.

What do ivory and copper indicate? early global trade

Among some of the most important maritime archaeological discoveries found in Southern Africa, copper ingots (about 17 tons) bear the trident of the Fugger family of Augsburg, Germany, and are evidence that Renaissance Europe traded extensively with sub-Saharan Africa. The ivory that was also found has given scientists important information about the historical population of West African forest elephants and how early global trade affected the environment.