Archaeological evidence has identified an 18th-century shipwreck on Madame Island, off the coast of Madagascar, suggesting it is the Portuguese ship Nossa Senhora do Cabo. This vessel was captured by pirates Olivier Levasseur ‘La Buse’ and John Taylor in 1721.
Based on over two decades of fieldwork and archival and laboratory studies beginning in 1999, the research combines material analyses, hull remains, and environmental data with accounts from documentary sources.
The artifacts recovered from the site include Chinese porcelain, religious objects of Goan origin, coins, cowries, and construction materials consistent with Portuguese design from India, as noted in the study.
The archaeological assemblage recovered from the site corresponds to historical descriptions of cargoes transported via the Cape route, later refurbished and renamed by La Buse as ‘Victorieux’ (‘Victorious’).
“Our interpretation of the site as part of the Cape route is supported by archaeological evidence and historical accounts, disproving contradictory narratives regarding the vessel’s fate,” the study states, citing an account of the shipwreck at Cape Amber as an example.
“Nevertheless, our investigations align with conflicting reports that the ship was eventually abandoned and likely burned on Sainte-Marie Island, within the same micro-archipelago where Madame Island is located, near Madagascar.”
This archaeological case provides new data on piracy, global trade, and colonial power in the Western Indian Ocean.
“The study illustrates the utility of applying a multidisciplinary archaeological methodology to clarify the historical record, particularly in identifying pirate shipwreck sites that rarely preserve unequivocal diagnostic evidence, such as the Wydah Gally bell,” state researchers Brandon A. Clifford and Mark R. Agostin.
