Wreck of 18th century slave ship discovered
Source: CNN
(CNN)Archaeologists and divers from across continents believe they have struck history gold, confirming the first ever discovery of a sunken slave ship.
The Sao Jose-Paquete de Africa, a Portuguese slave ship, sank off Cape Town on its way from Mozambique to Brazil in 1794, while carrying more than 500 slaves. The ship's crew and almost half of those enslaved drowned in the violent waves. It is believed that the surviving slaves were resold in the Western Cape.
So far, only a few remnants have been retrieved from the wreck site, a turbulent spot located between two reefs.
The Slave Wrecks Project, founded in 2008, uncovered shackles, an iron ballast which helped weigh down a ship that carrying human cargo and a wooden pulley block. Iziko Museums of South Africa are expected to formally announce the breakthrough in Cape Town on Monday.
Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/01/africa/portuguese-slave-ship/
