203: old treasures uncovered off Namibian coast

An amazing discovery has been made off the coast of Namibia, by diamond mining company Namdeb. As today's linked article from the South African Times newspaper reports, the miners exposed a shipwreck containing treasures that appear to be around 500 years old. They include bronze cannons, pewter tableware, navigational instruments... and thousands of Spanish and Portuguese gold coins, which appear to have been minted in the 15th and 16th centuries. The date marks the wrecked ship as a possible contemporary of the fleets of great explorers like Vasco da Gama, Columbus and Diaz, and it is therefore a potentially very significant find. It's also a great reminder of the rich history of human civilization: of how far we've come and how far we have to go...