The wreck of the Esmeralda, a ship from Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama’s  second voyage to India in 1502 and 1503, is believed to have been found close to Al Hallaniyah island, near the coast of Oman according to an announcement made by the country’s Ministry of Heritage and Culture this week. The wreck is believed to be the oldest wreck dating from “Europe’s Golden Age of Exploration.”

The wreck had been first discovered in 1998 and excavated between 2013 and 2015 by a partnership between the Oman Ministry of Heritage and Culture and the shipwreck recovery company Bluewater Recoveries Ltd., which is directed by David Mearns. More than 2,800 artifacts, including rare coins, have been recovered since the beginning of the excavation.

Sunken treasure recovered from 500-year-old shipwreck

As reported by NBC News.com:  “The historical and archeological importance of the wreck site, based on future studies of the artefact assemblage, could be enormous,” Blue Water and Oman’s Ministry of Heritage & Culture said in a statement, shedding new light on “how maritime trade and warfare was conducted in the Indian Ocean at the turn of this vital century.”

Gama’s second armada to India in 1502-03 was a troubled expedition, resulting in the losses of several ships — including the Esmeralda — and the failure of its main objective, the surrender of the Hindu rulers of the Malabar Coast to Portuguese rule….

“The bulk of the recovered artefacts were artillery and ordnance from the arsenal on board the ship,” the researchers said. “These included lead, iron and stone shot of various calibres, a large number of bronze breech chambers and several ancient firearms.

“Together they provide tangible proof of the military objectives of this fleet as ordered by Dom Manuel and brutally carried out by Vasco da Gama and his two uncles Vicente and Brás Sodré.”

Thanks to Miroslav Antic, Irwin Bryan, Phil Leon and Alan Rice for contributing to this post.