A group of diamond miners in Africa found a sunken ship dating back 500 years with a treasure worth £9 million in gold and coins. The ship, known as the Bom Jesus or Good Jesus, was initially located by geologists from De Beers in April 2008 off the Namibian coast near Oranjemund. This Portuguese vessel, commanded by Sir Francisco de Noronha, departed from Lisbon in 1533 on a journey to India but mysteriously disappeared along with its crew.
Geologists from the mining company De Beers made the initial discovery of The Bom Jesus – also known as Good Jesus – and its collection of treasures along the Namibian coast close to Oranjemund in April 2008. Among the findings were various Spanish coins.
A collection of artifacts unearthed by miners beside a trowel for size reference. In the midst lies the most intact astrolabe, surrounded by a frying pan, pottery fragments, a pewter plate, and a section of a pewter bowl.
Miners stumbled upon this remarkable find while draining a man-made saltwater lake near the Skeleton Coast. Among the many shipwrecks discovered in the area, this one stood out as the oldest, loaded with valuable coins and ivory tusks.
The miners initially found peculiar wooden and metal fragments scattered along the beach before uncovering the buried shipwreck, revealing its hidden treasures.
It wasn’t until Day 6 when the exploration team stumbled upon a valuable treasure chest filled with gold. This remarkable discovery has been hailed as one of the most important shipwreck finds in history, resulting in the site being designated under the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.
Among the treasures discovered on the Bom Jesus shipwreck were a set of rosary beads and a shiny silver coin from Portugal.
Dr. Dieter Noli, an archaeologist, was showcasing how an astrolabe recovered from the shipwreck was used back in the day. Inside the Bom Jesus cargo were various items like German copper ingots, West African ivory, and a mix of gold and silver currency from Portuguese, Spanish, Florentine, and Venetian origins. Among the findings were weapons like swords and knives, clothing, and intriguingly, skeletons. Additionally, the miners stumbled upon bronze bowls, long metal poles used for canons on the ship, as well as musket compasses and other astrological tools.
According to Archaeologist Dr. Dieter Noli, the Namibian government will be retaining the gold found on the ship. He explained that typically when a ship is discovered on a beach, the government of that country gets to keep it. However, in the case of a ship belonging to a nation, that nation has the right to claim it and all its possessions. As the ship belonged to the King of Portugal, it was considered a ship of state, giving Portugal ownership of the ship and its contents. Surprisingly, the Portuguese government decided to forego their right, allowing Namibia to keep everything found on the ship.
The appearance of the lost Portuguese ship is a mystery. It left Lisbon in 1533 under the command of Sir Francisco de Noronha, bound for India, but disappeared without a trace, along with all its crew. A family in Florida has unearthed a treasure dating back 300 years.
