Could a Shipwreck Off Kenya’s Coast Be Vasco da Gama’s Final Vessel?
A shipwreck near Malindi, Kenya, is being studied by an international team of archaeologists who believe it could be the remains of the São Jorge, a galleon linked to Vasco da Gama’s final voyage. The vessel, discovered in 2013 on a coral reef 500 metres off the Kenyan coast, is thought to have sunk over 500 years ago. Research led by experts from the University of Coimbra, the National Museum of Kenya, and the Bergen Maritime Museum is ongoing to confirm its identity.
Historical Significance of the Shipwreck
In a paper published in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology, researchers have described artifacts recovered from the site, including elephant tusks and copper ingots, suggest a Portuguese origin. The ship’s connection to Vasco da Gama, who is noted as the first European to navigate around Africa’s southern tip to reach the Indian Ocean, has drawn particular interest. His final voyage in 1524, during which he died, marked the end of his extensive exploration efforts.
Challenges Faced in Identifying the Ship
Researchers have described the wreck as difficult to study due to its condition and its integration into the coral reef in their statements. Over the past decade, artifacts and fragments of timber have been carefully retrieved from the site to preserve them for examination.
The team, which includes F. Castro and J. Pissarra from the University of Coimbra, C. Bita from the National Museum of Kenya, and B. Frabetti from the Bergen Maritime Museum, has conducted careful excavations to extract planks from the ship’s hull.
Future Plans for Verification
The researchers plan to identify the ship conclusively via further investigation. The team believes that confirming its status as the São Jorge would significantly contribute to understanding the maritime history of the early 16th century. Researchers have noted the importance of such discoveries in shedding light on the global trade routes and exploration efforts of the era.
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Nuclear physicists have detected the radioactive disintegration of a rare isotope of astatine for the first time. This shows that the heaviest element found in nature may be modified a lot, maybe even destroyed, in a way that scientists didn’t predict. That oddball radioactive decay with 85 protons and 103 neutrons is almost (but not quite) a nuclear species that we would call stable. The finding was made by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, and it’s a major development for nuclear physics. It describes something that just shouldn’t be and then shows us what the forces are that make for heavy atomic structures.
Rare Proton Decay in 188At Sheds Light on Extreme Nuclear Shapes and Stability Limits
As per a report published in Nature Communications on May 29, 2025, the isotope was produced using a fusion-evaporation reaction that entailed the irradiation of a natural silver target with strontium-84 ions. The exotic nucleus, 188 At, has a pronouncedly prolate form (of a ”watermelon” type) generated by the neutron and proton normal and attractive interaction in the inner shells of heavy nuclei experienced as a projectile in our case study.
Henna Kokkonen, the doctoral researcher who made the discovery, has mentioned that the proton emitted allows an unstable nucleus to progress towards stability by getting rid of a proton. The 190 At isotope was found by Kokkonen with the investigation of rare decay in the heavy nucleus, the rare interaction in the binding energy of the proton, and presumably a tendency change in the heavy atom region.
The team of the theory and experiment workshop pointed out the importance of exploring new decay modes and testing predictive models at the extremes of the periodic table. They also talked about how technology has improved in making and studying isotopes with short lifetimes.
Isotope discoveries of this scale remain rare in modern nuclear physics. Kokkonen expressed pride in contributing to a global effort that deepens our understanding of atomic structure. Each such finding helps refine our knowledge of nuclear forces, elemental formation, and the fundamental limits of matter. The breakthrough underscores how even after a century of nuclear science, the field continues to yield surprises from the smallest building blocks of the universe.
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