Portugese shipwreck in Namibia, explorers in race against time

In april of this year near Oranjemund, Namibia an important Portugese wreck is discovered. A team of Namibian, Portugese and South African archaeologists have been investigating the site.
A massive, man-made wall of sand that has pushed back the sea so that diamond-mining company Namdeb can extend its search for diamonds to what would normally be part of the seabed is set to be given over to the forces of nature again around October 10. There is very little time left to rescue what is possible of the historic important site.

According to Dr Bruno Werz, from the Southern African Institute of Maritime Archaeology it is thought that the site holds the remains of the back portion of a three-mast Portuguese trading vessel, which had been about 30 metres in length when it sailed from Europe down the coast of Africa on a doomed voyage to Asia.

Portuguese archaeologist Francisco Alves, who has worked at the site since a second phase of excavation started earlier this month, said the ship was a merchant crown ship of Portugal.
For Alves, the dotted pattern of a circle on some of the Portuguese gold coins found so far has provided a valuable clue that this ship could not date back further than late in the year 1525, because the minting of coins with that type of pattern only started in October 1525.

(Source: Werner Menges, All Africa.com)

• All Africa.com
• Republikein Namibia