Sunken Pirate Ship From 1721 Found In Madagascar, Carrying Valuable Cargo And Important Figures

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 03/07/2025 at 21:22

Updated on 03/07/2025 at 21:34

Imagem representativa gerada por IA representando um navio sendo atacado por piratas

Be the first to react!

Archeologists Identify Shipwreck Of Portuguese Ship Captured By Pirates In 1721, With Multimillion-Dollar Cargo And Important Figures On Board

The wreckage of a Portuguese ship captured by pirates in the 18th century has been identified by archeologists. The discovery was made off the coast of Madagascar, near the island of Nosy Boraha. The vessel, named Nossa Senhora do Cabo, sank in 1721 after being intercepted in one of the most well-known attacks of the so-called Golden Age of Piracy.

The ship had departed from Goa, India, bound for Lisbon. It was carrying a valuable cargo, including bars of gold and silver, jewelry, and a cross with over 200 pounds of gold encrusted with rubies.

On board were also the Portuguese viceroy, the archbishop of Goa, and about 200 enslaved people from Mozambique. The whereabouts of these individuals remain unknown.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

See also

The shipwreck occurred after a coordinated attack by pirate ships, including that of Captain Olivier “The Buzzard” Levasseur.

The attack was facilitated by a storm that damaged the vessel and forced the crew to discard some cannons. The final confrontation took place on April 8, 1721, near Reunion Island.

The confirmation of the ship’s identity was published in the magazine Wreckwatch. The team at the Center for the Preservation of Historical Shipwrecks used archeological evidence, artifacts, and historical documents to reach this conclusion.

Ship, Shipwreck, Pirates — Archeological investigations revealed wooden frames of the hull of the ship Nossa Senhora do Cabo among the ballast stones. Credit: Center for the Preservation of Historical Shipwrecks

Over 3,300 items have been recovered from the seabed, including religious figurines made of wood and ivory, a plaque inscribed with “INRI,” and fragments of a crucifix. According to researchers, the objects were likely produced in Goa.

Archeologist Brandon Clifford explained that the total value of the stolen cargo would exceed 138 million dollars. Researcher Mark Agostini highlighted the historical significance of the region.

According to him, at least four pirate ships or captured vessels still remain submerged in the port of Nosy Boraha.

The island was one of the main refuges for pirates in the Indian Ocean, precisely because it was outside the control of colonial authorities at the time.

Agostini lamented the lack of archeological attention dedicated to the region and hopes that new expeditions will reveal even more forgotten chapters of maritime history.

With information from Aventuras na História.

Sunken Pirate Ship From 1721 Found In Madagascar, Carrying Valuable Cargo And Important Figures

Archeologists Identify Shipwreck Of Portuguese Ship Captured By Pirates In 1721, With Multimillion-Dollar Cargo And Important Figures On Board

While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

While cities spend fortunes patching potholes and tons of plastic become waste, the Netherlands transforms over 218,000 recycled cups into a modular bike path that can conceal drainage, cables, and pipes.

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Panasonic surprises housewives with the NA-G5 featuring four drums, a 13 kg washer and dryer, a 12 kg dryer, independent mini washers, a heat pump, and a 4-in-1 system awarded at the German Design Award.

While communities suffer from water scarcity and the advancing desert, women in Morocco use nets high up in the mountains to trap fog droplets, fill reservoirs, and transport drinking water through more than 10 km of piping.

Volkswagen admits to Reuters that the value of its cars is falling in Brazil due to the aggressive entry of Chinese companies like BYD, but asserts that it will not enter a price war and believes it is well-positioned to hold back the advance.

How to make charcoal in the backyard using a small oven covered with galvanized sheets and sealed with fine soil, in a traditional Filipino technique called pugon that yields up to one and a half bags of charcoal per burn.

You won’t believe how industrial egg production works in Brazil and the level of technology behind millions of units produced every day.

Material practically banned for almost 90 years makes a strong comeback in construction: made of hemp and lime, it insulates 15 times more than concrete, absorbs CO₂ over the centuries, and challenges an industry that helped push it out of the market.

Sunken Pirate Ship From 1721 Found In Madagascar, Carrying Valuable Cargo And Important Figures

Archeologists Identify Shipwreck Of Portuguese Ship Captured By Pirates In 1721, With Multimillion-Dollar Cargo And Important Figures On Board

While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

While cities spend fortunes patching potholes and tons of plastic become waste, the Netherlands transforms over 218,000 recycled cups into a modular bike path that can conceal drainage, cables, and pipes.

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Panasonic surprises housewives with the NA-G5 featuring four drums, a 13 kg washer and dryer, a 12 kg dryer, independent mini washers, a heat pump, and a 4-in-1 system awarded at the German Design Award.

While communities suffer from water scarcity and the advancing desert, women in Morocco use nets high up in the mountains to trap fog droplets, fill reservoirs, and transport drinking water through more than 10 km of piping.

How to make charcoal in the backyard using a small oven covered with galvanized sheets and sealed with fine soil, in a traditional Filipino technique called pugon that yields up to one and a half bags of charcoal per burn.

You won’t believe how industrial egg production works in Brazil and the level of technology behind millions of units produced every day.

The Brazilian who saw value where everyone saw trash: entrepreneur transforms discarded cans into durable furniture, creates patented technique, and shows that sustainability can turn into income and future.

Man transforms a giant trunk from one of the largest trees in the world, nearly a thousand years old, into a cabin with beds, kitchen, and bathroom, and now wants to take the historic piece to become a roadside tourist attraction.

Volkswagen admits to Reuters that the value of its cars is falling in Brazil due to the aggressive entry of Chinese companies like BYD, but asserts that it will not enter a price war and believes it is well-positioned to hold back the advance.

How to make charcoal in the backyard using a small oven covered with galvanized sheets and sealed with fine soil, in a traditional Filipino technique called pugon that yields up to one and a half bags of charcoal per burn.

You won’t believe how industrial egg production works in Brazil and the level of technology behind millions of units produced every day.

Material practically banned for almost 90 years makes a strong comeback in construction: made of hemp and lime, it insulates 15 times more than concrete, absorbs CO₂ over the centuries, and challenges an industry that helped push it out of the market.