Archaeologists have recovered a spectacular 300-year-old shipwreck believed to be the Portuguese treasure vessel Nossa Senhora do Cabo, sunk by pirates off Madagascar in 1721 during one of the most infamous raids of the Golden Age of Piracy.
After 16 years of painstaking investigation, researchers from the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation located the wreck in Ambodifotatra Bay, near the island of Nosy Boraha, off Madagascar’s northeast coast. More than 3,300 artefacts have been retrieved from the site, offering a rare and vivid glimpse into one of history’s richest pirate hauls.
The Nossa Senhora do Cabo, a heavily armed state-owned carrack, was en route from Goa, India, to Lisbon, Portugal, when it was attacked on April 8, 1721, by pirates led by the notorious Captain Olivier “The Buzzard” Levasseur. The raid yielded staggering plunder — gold ingots, pearls, treasure-filled chests, religious figurines, and other valuable cargo — making it one of the most lucrative captures of the era. An estimated 200 enslaved people were also aboard; their fate remains unknown.
Brandon A. Clifford and Mark R. Agostini, researchers from Brown University central to the discovery, described the find as “an eyewatering treasure, even by pirate standards.” They estimate the cargo alone could be worth more than £108 million in today’s currency, with the overall haul valued at over £101 million.
Among the artefacts recovered are delicate pottery fragments, a Madonna statue, and a striking ivory plaque inscribed in gold letters with the Latin abbreviation “INRI” — Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”) — a powerful religious symbol from the period. Photomosaics of the lower hull and images of researchers preparing for dives highlight the challenging underwater conditions in which the wreck was documented and excavated.
During the early 18th century, Portugal dominated key trade routes between India and Europe, with ships like the Nossa Senhora do Cabo carrying spices, precious stones, and human cargo destined for ports and mines across the empire. These richly laden vessels inevitably became prime targets for pirates seeking enormous profits from both goods and enslaved people.
The discovery underscores the enduring allure and historical significance of the Golden Age of Piracy. The Nossa Senhora do Cabo’s capture was particularly humiliating for the Portuguese Empire, given the ship’s formidable armament and strategic importance.
The find also arrives amid renewed interest in historic shipwrecks. Researchers in Colombia believe they have identified the long-lost Spanish galleon San Jose, sunk by the British in 1708 and carrying an estimated £16 billion treasure. Images captured by an underwater drone a decade ago revealed silver coins minted in Lima in 1707, Chinese porcelain from the Kangxi period, and cannon inscriptions dating to 1665.
The recovery of the Nossa Senhora do Cabo not only illuminates a dramatic chapter in maritime history but also provides invaluable material evidence of colonial trade, piracy, and the complex human stories embedded in these sunken vessels. As analysis of the artefacts continues, the wreck promises to deepen our understanding of 18th-century global commerce and the shadowy world of the pirates who preyed upon it.