'Never Seen Before' Warship Discovered Near Lakshadweep, Says Report

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A group of divers, on Saturday, stumbled upon a shipwreck while exploring marine life near the Kalpeni Island in the Lakshadweep archipelago.

According to a report by the Times Of India, Idrees Babu, a scientist at the Department of Science and technology and a mentor to the divers' group said such a shipwreck had not been recorded in the region earlier.

European warship found

The wreckage appears to be a European warship from the 17th or 18th century, stated the TOI report. Going by the ship's size, and the canon attached to it, experts hinted that the wreckage might have been a warship, possibly built with iron or a combination of iron and wood, typical of the era.

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"The coral growth on the wreckage and corrosion makes it difficult to immediately ascertain if the ship was made fully of iron or it had components of wood too. The coral growth indicates it has been submerged for a few centuries," said Satyajit Mane, who led the group of divers.

The shipwreck which was spotted on the western side of the Kalpeni island suggested that it belonged to either the Portuguese, British, or the Dutch.

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“The ship might have been 50m-60m in length. The East India Company started using iron ships on this trade route in the 17th century or 18th century. We need underwater archaeological studies to learn more about it; till then we need to protect the site,” Idrees Babu told TOI.

Wreckage reveals historical connection

A study of the wreckage also revealed a significant historical connection to maritime conflicts in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly during the battle of dominance over the trade routes between the Middle East and Sri Lanka, reported TOI.

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“When we spotted the wreck on the western side of Kalpeni, we didn't know it was a warship. When we found a cannon and an anchor, we realised it could be an important find,” TOI Satyajt Mane as saying.

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