An international team of archaeologists, photographers and volunteers, all of them divers, started this week the field work of the Pedro Dias Ship Project, in Enseada da Baleeira or Martinhal, in Sagres.
The objective is to discover a Patacho, a XNUMXth century cargo transport and reconnaissance vessel never before found in archaeological contexts, whose handwritten sources indicate that it may have sunk in that place.
O Sul Informação shows, at first hand, photos taken on the spot, by photographer Virgílio Rodrigues:
For 15 days, the team will be in the field mapping the cove and recording all the archaeological remains they find, but the motto of the project is, without a doubt, the Patacho that sank here in 1608.
If it manages to discover the vessel, the research team will achieve “an exponential advance in the knowledge of shipbuilding and navigation in the XNUMXth century”.
Whoever wants to learn more about this initiative will have golden opportunities, tomorrow, Saturday, and on November 27th. This Saturday, those responsible for the project will make presentations of the results at the Fortaleza de Sagres, at 11 am and 15 pm.
Next Wednesday, an open day will be promoted at Praia do Martinhal, in which boat visits to work sites and also dives will be promoted, for those who want to observe the work taking place underwater.
The Pedro Dias Ship Study and Location Project is the result of a partnership between the INA (Institute of Nautical Archeology) of the United States of America, the CHAM (History Center of Aquém and d'Além-Mar) of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and University of the Azores, Vila do Bispo City Council, Subnauta, the Naval Research Center (CINAV) of the Portuguese Navy and the Dinamika Association.
Leading the team are George Schwarz and Tiago Miguel Fraga, both nautical archaeologists with extensive experience in underwater contexts.
From 2012 until today, several were the results presented by the Project, which has already found two more shipwrecks in Enseada, both from the 2013th century. At the same time, in XNUMX, two pieces of artillery were found that seem to correspond to the chronology of the Patacho shipwreck.
This site will be the target of intensive work during this year, along with the investigation of other archaeosites and artefacts.
Photos: Virgílio Rodrigues
Text: Sul Informação with Paulo Marcelino
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