In August 2024, the Jasper House Museum in Oranjemund, Namibia, unveiled a new exhibition dedicated to the artifacts recovered from the Bom Jesus, a 500-year-old Portuguese shipwreck discovered in the Namib Desert.
The Bom Jesus set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on March 7, 1533, intending to reach the Indies. However, the ship never made it to its destination due to a storm that beached it on the southern coast of Namibia. For centuries, the fate of the Bom Jesus remained a mystery until its wreck was uncovered in 2008 by diamond miners working for De Beers.
The miners had drained seawater near the coast over an area of 200 meters in diameter, leading to the unexpected discovery of a large wooden carcass resting under layers of sand. Among the treasures found were approximately 2,000 gold coins valued at $13 million, hundreds of kilograms of copper ingots, and other artifacts including swords, muskets, bronze bowls, cannons, navigational instruments, and elephant tusks.
Archaeologists were astonished by the state of preservation of the ship's contents. Dr. Dieter Noli, the lead archaeologist at the Southern Africa Institute of Maritime Archaeological Research, attributed this preservation to the copper ingots onboard. "Marine organisms may like wood, leather book covers, peach pips, jute sacking, and leather shoes, but copper really puts them off their food—so a lot of stuff survived the 500 years on the bottom of the sea, which should really not have done so," Dr. Noli explained.
The copper ingots, weighing some 17 tons, were originally shipped from Central Europe and were headed for India, where copper was a prized trade commodity. Each ingot was stamped with a trident mark linked to the Fugger banking family of Germany, indicating the trade connections of the period. The presence of these ingots provided proof of copper's role in global commerce during the Renaissance.
The gold coins recovered from the wreck included Portuguese coinage such as cruzados from the reigns of Kings Manuel I and João III, as well as Spanish excellentes featuring the likenesses of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Additionally, coins from Venice, France, and Muslim states were found, indicative of the trade connections of the era. The coins became an important source of information about the trade and economy of the Portuguese Empire, with inscriptions and designs instrumental in dating the shipwreck to the early 1530s.
The Bom Jesus also carried 100 elephant tusks, which have provided information about West African elephant populations. Isotope analysis identified the tusks as coming from 17 herds, offering ecologists insights into the history of Africa's elephant populations. Four of these herds have persisted into modern times with descendants of those elephants killed five centuries ago for their ivory.
"This is a very significant find, particularly the supporting items like the religious artifacts and clothing, which can give us fascinating insights into what was a very important period of history," said Timothy Insoll from Manchester University.
The discovery of the Bom Jesus marked a milestone in maritime archaeology and is now considered the oldest shipwreck ever found along the western edge of Sub-Saharan Africa. The well-preserved cargo provides information about the trade routes connecting Europe, Africa, and Asia during the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries.
Despite the passage of nearly five centuries, the structure of the hull retained integrity given its age. Although only a small part of the wreck's original structure was preserved, the ship's contents were found in relatively good condition. The preservation has allowed archaeologists to gain insights into shipboard life during the 16th century.
Namibia, which lies along the coast known for shipwrecks, got to keep the gold coins from the Bom Jesus when Portugal waived its claim, ceding the treasure to the Namibian government. The artifacts, now displayed at the Jasper House Museum, offer a glimpse into a time when ships like the Bom Jesus helped stitch together a truly global economy.
Today, visitors to the Jasper House Museum can view these artifacts and learn about the maritime history they represent. The museum, located at 7th Avenue, Oranjemund, Namibia, is open to the public and provides an opportunity to explore this chapter in history.
The fate of the Bom Jesus remained a mystery for centuries, and its discovery has opened a window into the maritime history of the 16th century. The ship's cargo, including the largest ivory cargo ever recovered from a shipwreck, continues to offer new clues about a time when voyages like these were instrumental in connecting distant parts of the world.
As researchers continue to study the artifacts, they uncover more about the trade networks of the period and the daily lives of those aboard. The preservation of the ship's contents provided numismatists and historians with study materials and historical insights.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.