An international mission of archaeologists, led by Jean Soulat, a French CNRS researcher, has unearthed the wreck of a pirate ship in perfect condition. It lay near Sainte-Marie Island and dates from the end of the 17th century. The study of the objects discovered nearby and of the vessel will shed light on our knowledge of the life of the buccaneers.
At the end of August 2024, the international team of archaeologists led by Jean Soulat, researcher at the CNRS in Caen, discovered the wreck, in perfect condition, of a pirate ship near Sainte-Marie Island in Madagascar. This historical treasure is located more precisely on the outskirts of Îlot-Madame.
Based on the knowledge already acquired by their predecessors and by studying the discoveries exhibited at the museum of the small island located in the east of Madagascar, the experts decided to concentrate their excavations around the bay of Ambodifotatra. This choice proved to be judicious; for more than 10 years, archaeologists and their apprentices have unearthed hundreds of objects dating from the end of the 17th century.th and the beginning of the 18thth century.
After pieces of Chinese ceramics, pottery and building foundations, the researchers equipped themselves with diving equipment to probe the seabed. After identifying the Speaker, specialists spotted, in 2021, a still unidentified boat. Its teak hull would prove that it is a ship.made in Southeast Asia”explains Jean Soulat on the publication of the University of Caen.
Building on these initial successes and following authorization for an extension of research, historians have uncovered a smuggling counter on earth. In addition to new fragments of pottery, pieces of Chinese porcelain, pieces of Malagasy ceramics, the researchers identified holes indicating that a building was installed at this location.
This construction, even ephemeral, confirms the installation of buccaneers on Sainte-Marie Island. This discovery is essential. It bears witness to the installation of a pirate camp. The mixture of pieces of local pottery and Chinese porcelain confirms the collaboration between the sea raiders and the inhabitants.
The presence of these traces encouraged archaeologists to multiply surveys, on land and at sea. After years of effort, they were rewarded, until now only eight wrecks, of pirate ships, were known in the world . A perfectly preserved ninth has just been revealed, as confirmed by viralmag.fr, Science et Avenir and Le Figaro, among others…
