SHIP IN THE DESERT

 14 July 2023: 

Mid-July folks! How sad that the summer is rushing by - and quite frankly, the weather has not been all that great. 

Some while back - maybe a couple of years? - we posted about this ship found in the Namibian Desert and just got an update on it (question: is a wreck in a sand dune still a "she?") and thought it might be of interest to some of you. From the Greek Reporter:

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 The discovery of a ship that disappeared five hundred years ago and was found in a desert in southwest Africa with gold coins aboard has been one of the most exciting archaeological finds of recent years.

The Bom Jesus (The Good Jesus) was a Portuguese vessel that set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on Friday, March 7, 1533. Its fate was unknown until 2008 when its remains were discovered in the desert of Namibia during diamond mining operations near the coast of the African nation.

When it sank in a fierce storm, it was on its way to India laden with treasures like gold and copper ingots. Two-thousand pure gold coins and tens of thousands of pounds of copper ingots were discovered on the Bom Jesus, almost all intact.

It is speculated that the Bom Jesus sank when it was pulled too close to shore in a storm off the coast of Namibia, causing the ship’s hull to collide with a rock and lean over, capsizing the vessel. As the coastline waters receded, the Bom Jesus reemerged in the desert. 

The condition that the ship was found in suggests that the storm that caused the shipwreck was especially violent, although an absence of human remains (besides a few scattered bone fragments) in the site suggests that most of the crew on board survived the wreck or died at sea.

Dr Noli, the chief archeologist of the Southern Africa Institute of Maritime Archaeological Research, said recently the coastline was notorious for storms so finding a shipwreck was hardly surprising.

However, it was a week into the excavation that a treasure chest laden with gold was found, with the coins indicating it had come from a Portuguese ship that had disappeared in 1533.

 “It adds new meaning to the concept of the ship having being loaded with gold,” Dr Noli told News Com, Australia.

Further investigation revealed the discovery of bronze bowls, and long metal poles [ed: poles?] later found to be canons.

Dr Noli’s team also found a musket which he estimated to be at least 500 years old, and bits of metal which revealed a shipwreck was buried in the sand. It also found compasses, swords, astrological tools, canons and even a time capsule. Silver coins were also found.

While little is known about the history of the Bom Jesus itself, it is speculated that the ship was part of a class of naval vessels that were larger, more efficient, and more durable than previous Portuguese and Spanish vessels in order to facilitate the longer-distance expeditions carried out by Portuguese fleets during this time.

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We are sure there is more research to be done on this strange discovery and should any of it appear on our feeds, we will endeavor to bring it to you. As a side note, the late Clive Cussler, author of dozens of high octane adventure tales led by his NUMA team and Dirk Pitt, wrote a book some years ago about the discovery of a fictitious ship in the desert! My somewhat dim memory thinks maybe "Skeleton Coast".  But maybe not!

Until next time,

                                      Fair Winds,

                                               Old Salt