COWRIE SHELL MONEY FOUND IN SHIPWRECK

The wreck of a 400-year-old ship carrying seashells, porcelain and spices, and armed with cannons, has been found off the coast of Portugal in what archaeologists havecalled the discovery of the decade.

The remains of the vessel, which divers found in about 12 metres (40ft) of water, include nine bronze cannons engraved with the Portuguese coat of arms, Chinese ceramics,condiments and cowrie shells, which were used as currency among slave traders.

"From a heritage perspective, this is the discovery of a decade," said Jorge Freire, scientific director of the team. He said the wreck, which was found in the mouth of theRiver Tagus close to Cascais, near Lisbon, and is believed to date from between 1575 and 1625, when Portugal's spice trade with India was at its peak. Artefacts have been removedfrom the site to help scholars identify the name of the ship and where it had sailed from.

To read the complete article, see:
400-year-old shipwreck lifts lid on Portugal's spice trade(https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/400-year-old-shipwreck-lifts-lid-on-portugal-s-spice-trade-p7fhnhn7j)