The 500-year-old wreckage of Portuguese ship piloted by an uncle of explorer Vasco da Gama has been found off the coast of Oman.
The shipwreck believed to be The Esmeralda sank during a violent storm near al-Hallaniyah Island in the Indian Ocean in May 1503, killing commander Vicente Sodre and all those aboard.
Among the stone shot, ceramics, a bell and other debris, divers discovered an incredibly rare silver coin called an Indio, of which only one other is known to exist today. The coins were forged in 1499 after da Gama’s first voyage to India.
The site is located at the island Ghubbat ar Rahib Bay. The work was first underwater excavation carried out by Oman. It was conducted in cooperation with Blue Water Recoveries.
(after PhysOrg)