Centuries-old shipwreck found near Lisbon

Archeologists have found a centuries-old shipwreck off Portugal's coast near Lisbon, a local authority said on Saturday.

Aboard the ship, that is believed to have sunk between 1,575 and 1625, divers found some interesting items including pepper, Chinese ceramics from the period, cowries and a type of shell used as currency for the slave trade in some parts of Africa at the time. The divers also found bronze cannons, engraved with the Portuguese coat of arms that are still featured in the Portuguese flag.

Calling it discovery of the decade, Jorge Freire, project's science director, said that from a conservation perspective, both of the assets as of the ship itself, this discovery is of great patrimonial value, CNN reported.

Judging by all the things that have been found on the ship, the officials are suspecting that the ship was coming into Lisbon from India.

The shipwreck was discovered on September 3 as a part of an underwater investigation project. It was found 40 feet below the surface.

(Source)