Latest news with #CenterForHistoricShipwreckPreservation
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A Legendary Ship Vanished With $138 Million in Treasure. Two Explorers Say They Found It.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Archaeologists from the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation discovered a 1721 shipwreck off the coast of Madagascar. The Portuguese ship was overtaken by pirates in a known piracy region. The ship was loaded with gold, diamonds, and emeralds when the pirates attacked. When famed pirates overtook a Portuguese ship in 1721 once laden with treasure (now valued over $138 million), the battle went well for the pirates, who eventually sank the ship off the coast of Madagascar. A pair of American archaeologists now claim they've discovered the final site of the lost vessel. Known as the Nossa Senhora do Cabo—translated as Our Lady of the Cape—the ship left India with a Portuguese viceroy and the Archbishop of Goa, 200 slaves, and treasure aplenty. Pirates were ready and Olivier 'The Buzzard' Levasseur led an ambush of the ship near Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean with a fleet of pirate ships aiming to take down the larger Portuguese ship. Already tossed about by a storm, the pirates easily took control of not only the ship, but the treasure aboard, eventually sailing it roughly 400 miles west of Reunion Island before ditching it in what is now Nosy Boraha——then known as Ile Sainte-Marie. After 16 years of searching off Madagascar's northeast coast, American archaeologists Brandon Clifford and Mark Agostini from the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation wrote in Wreckwatch magazine they discovered the wreck and over 3,300 artifacts. While not confirmed beyond the two archaeologists, Clifford told Live Science the identification is 'supported by multiple lines of evidence,' including analysis of the ship itself and how historical record and artifacts found at the site match the ship's history. The loot—dubbed 'an eye-watering treasure, even by pirate standards,' according to the hunters—would fetch at least $138 million in today's money, they pair claimed, with records noting gold and silver bars, coins, silks, and more than 400 gemstones, including 110 diamonds and 250 emeralds, part of the ship's store, as reported by ZME Science. Denis Piat, in his 2014 book 'Pirates & Privateers in Mauritius,' wrote the ship carried blocks of gold and chests crammed full of pearls, Live Science reported. The find came some 400 miles from the site of the historic attack, the archaeologist said, near the harbor of Nosy Boraha. It took more than a decade of sonar and remote sensing to locate a ship on the seafloor. From there, they team found a bevy of artifacts, including religious statuettes and plaques—some of the Virgin Mary and others honoring 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews'—the experts believe were likely created in Goa, India, and bound for use in Lisbon's cathedrals. The team also found plenty of pottery fragments and Arabic-inscribed gold coins now buried under the sand and silt of the seafloor. Of course, the bulk of the treasure never made it to the bottom of the sea. The feared 'The Buzzard' and his crew picked off much of the value. They eventually ransomed the viceroy and some of the valuables back to Lisbon, although the historical record has no account of the fate of the 200 slaves or the archbishop. Known as the Golden Age of Piracy, the island once known as Ile Sainte-Marie was a pirate hotbed thanks to the calm waters and freedom from colonial authority, according to ZME Science, and dozens of pirates made the island a launching point for patrolling the shipping channels. Clifford said that there could be as many as 10 ships wrecked around the island and he believes at least four are in the same harbor as the Nossa Senhora do Cabo. 'The site has historically been overlooked by researchers,' Agostini said, 'and so there's ample room for more discoveries that give us a glimpse into the past.' He hopes to make it happen. 'Ideally,' Agostini told Live Science, 'future fieldwork will lead to more analysis of the many wrecks there.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
News.com.au
12-07-2025
- News.com.au
Pirate shipwreck may hold key to fate of $210 million in treasure
A pirate shipwreck discovered off the coast of Madagascar may hold the key to the fate of $A210 million in treasure. Researchers from the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation have published a new study into the identity and contents of a wreck in a small bay on the remote island of Nosy Boraha (Ile Sante-Marie). This was once a hide-out of the famous 18th-century pirates Olivier Levasseur (La Buse) and John Taylor. They now believe the remains of a ship discovered there in the 1990s is that of the Portuguese treasure galleon Nossa Senhora do Cabo, which was seized while carrying a cargo home from India in 1721. Lead researcher Brandon Clifford says it was one of the richest pirate plunders in history. Aboard the galleon was a royal fortune in gold and pearls, and a hoard of holy artefacts. And among its passengers were a Portuguese royal viceroy, the Archbishop of Goa and 200 slaves. The viceroy was only released after a steep ransom was paid by the Portuguese government. The fate of the Archbishop and slaves is lost to history. As is that of much of the treasure. But the ship itself was repaired, rearmed and rebuilt into Levasseur's flagship. Levasseur, nicknamed La Buse (The Buzzard), soon after retired to Nosy Boraha (Ile Sante-Marie). He gave up piracy. But he refused to surrender his treasure. Eventually, in 1729, he was recognised and arrested. Legend says the famous French pirate told his gaoler: 'With what I've hidden not far from here, I could buy the entire island'. 'Find my treasure he who can!' he shouted as he threw an encrypted document into the crowd while being led to the gallows. Attempts to decipher what is alleged to be this cryptogram have thus far been unsuccessful. Under the weather The Cabo was initially built as a 72-gun Dutch man-of-war. Later, it was repurposed as a heavily armed Portuguese treasure galleon. But, in April 1721, the ship's luck ran out. It encountered a severe storm as it headed for the Cape of Good Hope, marking the transition of the Indian Ocean to the South Atlantic. It had departed the port of Goa on India's southwest en route to Lisbon, Portugal, only weeks earlier. But accounts from the time suggest heavy weather had toppled its masts. And its crew had tossed many of its heavy cannons overboard in an effort to keep the ship afloat. Their efforts were successful. The Cabo found refuge at Reunion Island. There, many of the crew went ashore to cut wood for repairs. But, on the morning of April 20, two sets of sails appeared on the horizon. They belonged to pirates Levasseur and Taylor. The galleon was in no state for an effective fight. The Cabo was seized after a brief exchange of shots. It was then taken in tow. The ship, its crew and passengers were taken to Îlot Madame, near the Nosy Boraha (Île Sainte-Marie) settlement off Madagascar's east coast. There, the loot could be safely divided and stored. 'Gold and silver bars, coins, silks, religious artefacts, and an extraordinary array of precious stones (110 diamonds, 250 emeralds, 20 rubies, 20 sapphires) are recorded as having been taken from the ship's cargo,' the study, titled From Goa to Sainte-Marie: An Archaeological Case for the Identification of the Nossa Senhora do Cabo, reads. 'The pirates divided the treasure among themselves, with Levasseur reportedly taking the famed Flaming Cross of Goa, a massive gold artefact encrusted with precious stones that took three men to carry,' the study states. But untangling myth from legend, and legend from history, will be necessary before any such trove is discovered. The fate of the Cabo is part of that story. She was to be Levasseur's final flagship. After being repaired, modified, and rearmed, Levasseur renamed the galleon Victorieux (meaning 'Victorious'). And her final resting place has been a matter of debate for centuries. X marks the spot? 'Our interpretation of the site as the Cabo … overturns contradictory narratives about the fate of the vessel,' the researchers write. 'For example, one account reports how the ship was wrecked at Cape Amber. Rather, our investigations align with competing recollections that (indicate) the vessel was eventually abandoned, and likely partially burned, at Sainte-Marie.' The Historic Shipwreck group has been exploring wrecks that sat under the guns of a small fort the pirates had built to protect their provisions, spares, and loot. Geophysical scans, side-scan sonar imaging and seabed investigations have so far identified several closely clustered wrecks in the shallows. Île Sainte-Marie was a stronghold of the Golden Age of Piracy (1650 to 1725). Among its most notable occupants were Henry Avery, William Kidd, and Olivier Levasseur. Up to 10 wrecks are believed to be in the surrounding waters. One wreck, measuring 30m by 10m (the same as an 18th Century Portuguese galleon), has been found to contain Chinese porcelain, ivory and timber carvings, 13 gold coins, cowrie shells and nutmeg. What makes this wreck significant, the researchers add, is the number of religious objects found there. These include a Madonna statue, an ivory statuette of Jesus, and a piece of ivory marked INRI (Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum - Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews), a traditional top piece to large crucifixes. Is this from the fabled 'Flaming Cross of Goa'? 'Primary records cast doubt on the existence of such an artefact, but documentary evidence does suggest the Viceroy of Goa aboard the vessel did possess a golden cross, most likely hanging on a necklace,' the study argues. But its presence is, however, significant. 'These devotional artefacts, often carried by high-ranking clergy or nobility, strongly align with the undisputed historical accounts that the Nossa Senhora do Cabo was transporting the former Viceroy of Goa and the Archbishop at the time of capture,' the study states. 'The presence of artefacts bearing Catholic iconography, unique among known pirate vessels in the region, suggests that this was not a typical pirate ship but rather a vessel captured by pirates. This distinction is crucial, as it situates the wreck not merely as a pirate-operated craft, but as a seized prize, temporarily operated or scuttled by figures such as Olivier Levasseur and John Taylor.'
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Say They've Found a Legendary Pirate Ship, Rewriting History
Archaeologists say they have discovered a legendary pirate shipwreck off the coast of Madagascar. The findings were announced in a research article by Brandon A. Clifford and Mark R. Agostini of the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation in Massachusetts. "This study presents archaeological evidence supporting the identification of a unique 18th-century shipwreck at Îlot Madame, off the coast of Sainte-Marie Island, Madagascar, as the Nossa Senhora do Cabo, a Portuguese treasure ship captured by pirates Olivier Levasseur (La Buse) and John Taylor in 1721," they wrote. Levasseur was "a French buccaneer colloquially known as La Buse or 'The Buzzard' for his swift and predatory tactics, remains one of the most enigmatic figures in the captivating history of piracy," Discovery Channel UK notes. According to the Golden Age of Piracy, the capture of the Nostra Senora della Cabo was a famed heist that saw the two pirates "capture a massive Portuguese treasure ship sailing out of the city of Goa. The massive 700-ton ship was carrying the Bishop of Goa, also known as the Patriarch of the East Indies along with the retiring Viceroy of Portugal. They were both returning to Lisbon with all of their wealth and artifacts when the ship was damaged in a storm." What's the evidence? "Artifacts recovered from the site include exported Chinese porcelain, religious artifacts of Goan origin, coinage, cowrie shells, and construction materials consistent with Portuguese East Indian design," the researchers wrote. "The archaeological assemblage recovered from the site corresponds with historical descriptions of the Cabo's cargo, route, and subsequent refit and final renaming by La Buse as the Victorieux." Their findings are rewriting history. "Our interpretation of the site as the Cabo, supported by archaeological evidence and historical accounts, overturns contradictory narratives about the fate of the vessel. For example, one account reports how the ship was wrecked at Cape Amber," they wrote. "Rather, our investigations align with competing recollections that instead the vessel was eventually abandoned, and likely partially burned, at Sainte-Marie. Broadly, this archaeological case study presents novel insights into piracy, global trade, and colonial power in the western Indian Ocean," they added. The area was a haven for pirates. le Sainte-Marie, located off the northeast coast of Madagascar, "occupies a central place in the maritime history of the western Indian Ocean. Its natural harbor, relatively protected from monsoon systems and regional currents, made it a strategic node for both legitimate trade and illicit maritime activity during the 17th and 18th centuries," they wrote. "Although the island had been known to Arab mariners since at least the 12th century, it was not until the so-called Golden Age of Piracy (1650–1725 CE) that Sainte-Marie emerged as a significant base of operations for European pirates, including figures such as Henry Avery, William Kidd, Christopher Condent, and Olivier Levasseur." Archaeologists Say They've Found a Legendary Pirate Ship, Rewriting History first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 11, 2025
The Sun
10-07-2025
- General
- The Sun
Lost 300-year-old ship carrying £101M worth of treasure sunk in pirate raid is FOUND off the coast of Madagascar
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered a 300-year-old shipwreck laden with treasure worth up to £101 million. The ship - believed to be the Nossa Senhora do Cabo - was sunk by pirates off Madagascar in 1721 during one of the most infamous raids in history. 7 7 The Portuguese vessel was transporting cargo from Goa, India, to Lisbon, Portugal, when it was raided. The treasure ship is believed to have been attacked on April 8, 1721, by pirates led by Captain Olivier "The Buzzard" Levasseur, during what historians call the Golden Age of Piracy. The raid became one of the most notorious of the era due to its staggering plunder - thought to be one of the richest pirate hauls in history. An estimated 200 enslaved people were also onboard at the time, though their fate remains unknown. The ship was a heavily armed, state-owned carrack, making its capture all the more humiliating for the Portuguese Empire. After 16 years of investigation, researchers at the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation found the wreck in Ambodifotatra Bay, near the island of Nosy Boraha, off Madagascar's northeast coast. More than 3,300 artefacts were pulled from the site, including religious figurines, gold ingots, pearls and treasure-filled chests. One ivory plaque is inscribed with gold letters reading 'INRI', the Latin abbreviation for "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum" - meaning 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews', as recorded in the Roman gospels. Brandon A. Clifford and Mark R. Agostini, marine archaeologists from Brown University behind the find, described the haul as "an eyewatering treasure, even by pirate standards". They estimate the cargo alone could be worth more than £108 million in today's money. 7 During the period that the Nossa Senhora do Cabo sailed, Portugal controlled key trade routes between India and Europe, transporting valuable goods from its colonies back to the Portuguese mainland. Besides carrying spices and precious stones, the ship also transported enslaved people, who were forced to work on plantations, in ports and in mines throughout the empire. Because of their valuable cargo and human freight, ships bound for Europe were prime targets for pirates, who could sell both goods and enslaved people for huge profit. The discovery comes as researchers say they found a centuries-old Spanish galleon stacked with a £16bn treasure trove. The San Jose, which was sunk by the British in 1708, was long thought to be lost beneath the Caribbean waters. But academics in Colombia believe that a wreck found near Baru Island in 2015 is in fact the long-lost galleon. An underwater drone mission a decade ago captured images of the cargo scattered in and around the shipwreck. Among the items recovered were silver coins minted in Lima in 1707, Chinese porcelain from the Kangxi period and cannon inscriptions dating back to 1665. 7
Gizmodo
07-07-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Lost for 300 Years, Pirate-Plundered Treasure Ship Discovered off Madagascar Coast
In 1721, pirates attacked and seized a Portuguese ship carrying a massive trove of treasure en route to Lisbon. Now, researchers believe they've discovered its remains off the coast of Madagascar. The discovery comes from two researchers from the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation in Massachusetts, who have conducted several studies on the wreckage over the last 16 years. They say new clues have revealed the ship's identity as the Nossa Senhora do Cabo, a 700-ton warship. Their findings were published in Wreckwatch Magazine, but have not been peer-reviewed. The wreck lies near the shores of Nosy Boraha, an island off Madagascar's northern coast historically known as Île Sainte-Marie, a notorious pirate stronghold during the 'Golden Age of Piracy.' The capture of Nossa Senhora do Cabo was 'among the most dramatic episodes' of this era, the authors wrote in the study. In the study, the researchers conducted underwater excavations using sonar imaging and remote sensing technology. They identified the ship based on its structure and artifacts recovered from the ship's remains, along with archaeological records. They discovered religious figurines and objects made of wood and ivory, including one depicting the Virgin Mary, part of a crucifix, and an ivory plaque bearing a religious inscription. According to the researchers, these items were likely produced in Goa—which, at the time, was colonized by Portugal—and were being transported to Lisbon. Archeological records indicate the Nossa Senhora do Cabo carried gold and silver bars, coins, silks, and an 'extraordinary' array of precious stones, including 110 diamonds, 250 emeralds, 20 rubies, and 20 sapphires, the authors wrote in the study. Study authors Brandon Clifford, co-founder and director of the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation, and Mark Agostini, an archaeologist at Brown University, described the entire haul as 'an eyewatering treasure, even by pirate standards,' estimating the cargo's value at over $138 million in today's money, Live Science reported. Records also show that the Nossa Senhora do Cabo departed Goa in 1721, bound for Lisbon with a Portuguese viceroy, the Archbishop of Goa, and more than 200 enslaved people from Mozambique aboard. The vessel was attacked and captured by pirate ships on April 8, 1721, near the French island of Réunion, and later taken to Île Sainte-Marie, where it was ultimately scuttled. Among the pirates that seized the ship was the infamous Olivier 'The Buzzard' Levasseur. The Portuguese ship had already been badly damaged in a storm and offered almost no resistance, the authors wrote. While the viceroy was eventually ransomed, the fate of the archbishop and the enslaved individuals remains unknown. Clifford told Live Science that many shipwrecks from this era were deliberately sunk or otherwise lost nearby, with estimates suggesting that between seven and ten wrecks lie around Île Sainte-Marie alone. Agostini added that the site has historically been overlooked by researchers, and so there's ample room for more discoveries that give us a glimpse into the past.
