Photo: Reuters

Archaeologists have found a 400-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Portugal, near Cascais, close to the capital Lisbon. The shipwreck was found in early September while dredging the mouth of the Tagus river. 

Spices, ceramics, and cannons engraved with Portugal’s coat of arms were found at the wreck site.  Archaeologists believe that the ship was returning from India when it sank sometime between 1575 and 1625, at the height of Portugal’s spice trade with Asia. One expert has called the shipwreck the “discovery of a decade”.

At a depth of 12m (40ft) the wreck was very well preserved, project director Jorge Freire told Reuters news agency. 

“From a heritage perspective, this is the discovery of the decade,” he said, calling it “the most important find of all time” for the country.

Chinese porcelain from the late 16th and early 17th centuries was also among the wreck, as were bronze artillery pieces and cowry shells – a currency used in the slave trade.

Thanks to Phil Leon for contributing to this post.