First Barbary Pirate Shipwreck Discovered – History

The first Barbary pirate shipwreck was found half a mile deep in the Strait of Gibraltar. The ship was about 46 feet long, a small vessel, but well armed, with two iron cannons at each end, muskets in the cabin, and ten iron swivel cannons; these weaponry clearly indicated that it was a pirate ship. The ship was carrying pottery, indicating that Algiers was probably its port of departure.

Pirates of the Barbary Coast (the Mediterranean coast of North Africa) began plundering ships in the 15th century and were a scourge of the western Mediterranean for 400 years. They were state-sponsored and a major source of revenue for the Barbary States (which included Morocco, Algiers, Tunisia, and Tripoli). They made a fortune, not primarily from plundering treasure, but from ransoms taken from European ships and from participating in the transatlantic slave trade. Britain and France paid them tribute to prevent pirates from harassing their navies or expatriates. Spain was always a target of pirates. The new United States was troubled by pirates and went to war with them twice, in 1801 and 1815.

The wreck sailed from Algiers, the seediest and most pirate haunt of the Barbary States, around 1760. It was likely bound for Gibraltar and Majorca, carrying 31 different types of pottery—bowls, pots, kettles, cooking pots, basins, oil lamps, cups—all made in Algiers. Also on board were medicine bottles (believed to be French or Italian), Ottoman jars, pipes, and tobacco. These items were found stacked around the mast in the captain’s cabin, most likely to be distributed among the crew. Also hidden in the captain’s locker was a glass container of wine or spirits from Belgium, Germany, or the Netherlands, and four imitation Chinese porcelain cups from western Turkey.

Boats of this size are called “tartans” and feature triangular sails affixed to two masts. They are also equipped with a row of oars. They are not the intimidating pirate ships used to board merchant ships and naval vessels. They can easily be mistaken for fishing boats and are able to sneak up on victims.

“The location and characteristics of the wreck are very consistent with the appearance of a Barbary pirate.” [Wreckwatch magazine editor-in-chief Sean] Kingsley said, “The waters around the Strait of Gibraltar were a favorite hunting ground for pirates, with a third of all pirate booty taken here.”

Sturm added that the wreck also featured a very rare “telescope” – an early telescope that was revolutionary for its time and was probably captured from a European ship.

Other artifacts from the wreck confirmed that it was a pirate ship loaded with loot.

“If there are Belgian or German glass bottles and Ottoman Turkish tea bowls mixed in with the wreck, then the wreck looks very suspicious,” he said. “This is not a normal North African coastal trading vessel.”