Marine archaeologists have located the remains of a 14th-century merchant vessel in the deep waters off the Bazaruto Archipelago. The wreck, an expertly crafted dhow of Swahili-Arab design, has yielded a treasure trove of artifacts that underscore the vast reach of the Medieval Indian Ocean trade network. Among the finds are crates of rare Longquan celadon from China and worked gold jewelry from the Great Zimbabwe interior.
Researchers believe the ship was part of a major trade fleet connecting East African city-states with the Persian Gulf and the Far East. The presence of both luxury ceramics and raw African minerals in the same hold provides the first physical evidence of a direct, high-volume exchange between the southern African interior and the global markets of the Middle Ages.