Archaeologists suspect shipwreck found near Kenya may be from Vasco da Gama’s last voyage

A pair of archaeologists with the University of Coimbra, working with a colleague from the National Museum of Kenya and another from Bergen Maritime Museum, believe a shipwreck found near the southernmost part of the African coast might be the remains of the galleon São Jorge—a Portuguese ship believed to have sunk during famed explorer Vasco da Gama’s final voyage.

In their paper published in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology, F. Castro, J. Pissarra, C. Bita and B. Frabetti describe how they studied materials retrieved from the wreck by previous researchers and timbers they retrieved themselves to learn more about the ship and its history.

In 2013, a sunken ship was discovered off the southeast coast of Kenya, near the town of Malindi—approximately 500 meters off shore and just 6 meters down. Study of the wreck has been difficult due to its condition and location. The ship is believed to have sunk more than 500 years ago, and it came to rest on a coral reef. Over the years, the ship has settled into the reef, making study of it a difficult proposition.

Over the past decade, several artifacts have been retrieved from the wreck, such as elephant tusks and copper ingots, which pointed to the ship as being early Portuguese. More recently, the research team ventured down to the wreck and made some small trenches, allowing them to retrieve some planks from the ship’s frame and its hull.

The evidence thus far suggests the ship is likely the galleon São Jorge. It was part of a fleet of ships that were part of da Gama’s last voyage—he died during that expedition, likely from malaria. He is believed to have been the first European to sail around the southernmost tip of Africa, bringing him and his crew into the Indian Ocean. His first voyage was in 1497 and his last was 1524.

The researchers plan to conduct more studies of the wreck, hoping to find proof of the ship’s identity. They suggest that if it can be proven it is the remains of the galleon São Jorge, it would be a very important find.

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