500-Year-Old Portuguese Shipwreck Unearthed in Namibian Desert Yields Gold Coins and Treasures

 500-Year-Old Portuguese Shipwreck Unearthed in Namibian Desert Yields Gold Coins and Treasures.

In 2008, diamond miners working in the Namibian desert made a remarkable discovery while draining an artificial lake. They uncovered the wreck of a Portuguese ship, the Bom Jesus (The Good Jesus), which had been lost in 1533 while en route to India.

On March 7, 1533, the Bom Jesus set sail from Lisbon bound for India, carrying gold coins, ivory, copper, and other valuables. During the voyage, it was caught in a severe storm and tragically lost.

Nearly 500 years later, in 2008, its remains were uncovered by diamond miners in the Namibian desert.

An estimated $13 million worth of gold coins, copper coins, bronze cannons, and other artifact's were recovered from the shipwreck.

Dieter Noli, the chief archaeologist of the South African Maritime Archaeological Research Institute, led the discovery. 

He explained that the copper coins played a crucial role in preserving the shipwreck, as copper is unappealing to marine life, helping to protect the remains over time.

For years, he had told the miners that they would eventually uncover a shipwreck and to notify him when they did.

When the miners finally unearthed pieces of metal, wood, and pipes, they called in Noli. 

These findings allowed archaeologists to recover thousands of Portuguese and Spanish gold coins, bronze cannons, copper coins, ivory, navigational instruments, cooking tools, swords, and firearms.

The location of the shipwreck remains is kept secret, and plans are in place to eventually showcase them in a future museum.