Archaeologists have found the wreck of a sailing ship that was captured in 1721 near Madagascar during a pirate raid. The ship, Nossa Senhora do Cabo, was a Portuguese vessel carrying cargo from India that was attacked and seized by pirates, including Olivier 'The Buzzard' Levasseur. The wreck lies on the floor of a small harbor on the island of Nosy Boraha off the northeast coast of Madagascar. Researchers have identified the wreck through analysis of the ship's structure, historical records, and artifacts found in the wreckage. The artifacts include devotional figurines, objects made from wood and ivory, and an ivory plaque inscribed with gold letters that read 'INRI'. The researchers believe these artifacts were made in Goa, India, and were being shipped to Lisbon, Portugal. The ship was carrying a treasure worth over $138 million in today's money, including gold and silver ingots, chests of pearls, and a gold cross studded with rubies. The pirates captured the ship with little resistance, and the viceroy was eventually ransomed, but the fate of the archbishop and 200 enslaved people on board is unknown. The researchers have recovered over 3,300 artifacts from the wreck, but many others are still buried under sand and silt.

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