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News: Did Humans Colonize the World by Boat?
Research suggests our ancestors traveled the oceans 70,000 years ago
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Namibian Portuguese shipwreck hailed as one of the best

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Karissa Oleyanin
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« on: September 25, 2008, 11:57:44 pm »

Namibian Portuguese shipwreck hailed as one of the best
September 23, 2008 Edition 1


ORANJEMUND: A treasure-laden 16th-century Portuguese vessel that ran aground off Namibia's coast was hailed by archaeologists yesterday as providing a rare insight into the heyday of seafaring explorations between Europe and the Orient.

"This is a cultural treasure of immense importance," Bruno Werz said when offering journalists a first glimpse of the precious find at the excavation site in Namibia's diamond-rich "sperrgebiet" or no-go zone.

The shipwreck, which was discovered by geologists dredging for diamonds in April, is the oldest found in sub-Saharan Africa.

Werz's team of scientists are from Namibia, the US, Portugal, South Africa and Zimbabwe.


It was thought that the ship was linked to Bartholomew Diaz, the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope, in 1488, but some of the ship's 2 000 gold coins were dated October 1525, 25 years after Diaz disappeared.

A Portuguese archaeologist described it as the best-preserved example of Portuguese seafaring outside Portugal.

With diamond mining company Namdeb spending vast amounts to keep the sea at bay while the excavations take place, pressure is on the team to finish the work by early next month. - Sapa-dpa

http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4624653
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