Wreck from Oman is the remains of the ship of the famous Vasco da Gama! - gallery + video

Today a sensational piece of news has hit the world. In a press statement published, among others, by the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, we can read that the wreck found in 1998 in the waters of Oman is one of the ships which in the 16th century formed part of the armada of the famous Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama! The information is also confirmed and widely reported by other reliable sources such as CNN and National Geographic.

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The remains of the 1503 ship were found in the late ’90s of the last century, but only recently have archaeologists been able to establish its identity. The wreck is the oldest and one of the most valuable underwater archaeological sites in Oman.

The ship was part of an expedition undertaken by Vasco da Game to establish a sea route to India, but sank during a storm off the coast of Al Hallaniyah Island in May 1503. As we can read in a joint statement by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Oman and the English company Blue Water Recoveries Ltd, the wreck is the oldest vessel of its kind to be examined by a team of archaeologists and experts representing various scientific fields.

In the course of their work and the materials collected, the researchers concluded that the wreck under examination was most probably the Esmeralda, commanded by Vicente Sodré, i.e… the uncle of Vasco da Gama himself!

The vessel was found in 1998 by the Blue Water Recoveries research team, which was a wonderful touch in honour of the 500th anniversary of da Gama’s voyage to India. Unfortunately, for various reasons, we had to wait until 2013 to begin archaeological work. Since then, during three consecutive annual expeditions, around 3000 artefacts have been taken up from the bottom! All work is being carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Oman under the leadership of David L. Mearns of BWR Ltd. And in strict compliance with the provisions of the 2001 UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.

In helping to identify the wreck, key finds included a bronze bell containing an inscription suggesting the vessel was made in 1498, the Cruzado gold coins, cast in Lisbon between 1495 and 1501, an extremely rare silver coin called the Indio, the creation of which was commissioned in 1499 by Portuguese King Dom Manuel I to trade with India. Its uniqueness is evidenced by the fact that only one existing piece is known in the whole world! The coin itself has even earned the name “the lost coin of King Dom Manuel”.

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From a historical and archaeological point of view, the find cannot be overestimated. It is one of the most valuable wrecks from the Iberian Peninsula, as its age predates similar finds by 30-50 years! As well as providing information on trade and warfare, it is sure to be a treasure trove of boatbuilding and nautical knowledge from such an extremely important period of history.

You can find more detailed information in the electronic edition of The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, available as a PDF at link.

Source: esmeraldashipwreck.com