The Shipwreck of the Santo António de Tanná (1697), Parts I and II

The shipwreck of the Portuguese frigate Santo António de Tanná, sunk in Mombasa in 1697, occurred during an Omani attack on the city, which was at that time controlled by the Portuguese. It was excavated in the 1970s, by a joint team of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) and the National Museums of Kenya.

During the excavations, a significant part of the ship’s hull and more than 7,000 objects related to its operation, life on board and commercial activity were identified. All this information is presented and analysed in this book, together with the written sources which relate to the ship. This archaeological site now belongs to an area classified as a world heritage site, and reveals a unique convergence of Asian, African and European people at the dawn of globalization.

This book is part of a two-part set: ISBN 9781407364179 (Part i); ISBN 9781407364186 (Part ii); ISBN 9781407362656 (set of both parts).

This book is of great interest for any researcher of the archaeology of Iberian colonies in the 17th century. Dr Ricardo Borrero L., Texas A&M and Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History

Finally having all material published is of major importance, as the wreck is a unique view of a Portuguese warship at the end of the 17th century. Professor Augusto Salgado, Lisbon University

The extensive artifacts excavated from the wreck and studied in this publication will shed light on the complex interactions between African, Indian, Portuguese, and Omani cultures; there is evidence that the crew of the Santo António was multi-cultural. It is my hope that with the publication of this book, others may be interested in continuing the study of this amazing wreck and the stories it can tell the world. Brian Jordan, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management