Wreck from 400 years ago reveals secrets of trade route

Archaeologists from Portugal, investigating a recently discovered wreck from the turn of the 16th/17th century, have found peppercorns, fragments of Chinese porcelain and a bronze cannon at an archaeological site. This indicates that the investigated ship once sailed on the route between Europe and India. The researchers speculate that the wreck and its cargo, may also help explain the importance of the Portuguese town of Cascais and how it played an important role on the route.

The wreck of a still unidentified ship was found on 4 September, by a team of experts surveying the area of sea around the fishing port of Cascais, about 15 Mm west of Lisbon. The remains of the ship are located at a depth of about 12 metres. The site where the remains of the wreck are scattered measures about 100 metres long and 50 metres wide.

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Researchers say the discovery will shed light on the trading past of Portugal and Cascais itself. Interestingly, the divers also came across Kauri shells, which suggest links to the slave trade.

[blockquote style=”2″]”We do not know the name of the ship, but it is a Portuguese ship from the late 16th or early 17th century. The discovery tells us a lot about the maritime history of Cascais. It’s a great discovery and its greatness lies in what the artifacts found can tell us,” said Jorge Freire, the marine archaeologist leading the research.[/blockquote]

The mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras, described the discovery as one of the most important archaeological finds of the last decade. He said that although the ship has not yet been identified, it could prove to be extremely important for the city and its history.

Source: theguardian.com

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