A Legendary Ship Vanished With $138 Million in Treasure. Two Explorers Say They Found It.
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.'
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6 days ago
- 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?
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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
