Shipwrecks from the Historia Tragico-Maritima

Abstract

This thesis catalogs the Portuguese ships that wrecked while sailing the India Route, the passage between India and Portugal popularized in the 16th and 17th centuries. The focus will be on ships lost along the African coast as both historical documents and archaeological finds have accrued in association with these wrecks. By combining these sources, this thesis will describe the cultural context and physical evidence of these wrecks. Much of the historical evidence originates from the História Trágico-Marítima, originally published in Portuguese, with excerpts later translated into English by Charles Ralph Boxer, George Theal, Charles Ley, and Josiah Blackmore. Additionally, the material will be supported by a GIS visualization of known India Route wreck locations, namely in the form of point maps displaying the locations of the wrecks in reference to their geographic location and to each other. By creating a catalog with source materials drawn from both historical accounts and archaeological evidence I plan to weave together a cohesive understanding of Portuguese shipwrecks lost along the India Route.