Finding Alcatrazes and early Luso-African settlement on Santiago Island, Cape Verde

Archaeological research has uncovered evidence of the early Luso-African settlement at Alcatrazes, a short-lived Portuguese captaincy on Santiago Island, Cape Verde, challenging its historical perception as a 'failed' venture. The study, published in Antiquity, reveals that Alcatrazes thrived as an administrative and trade hub from 1484 to 1516, providing insights into the island's early colonial period. Researchers employed geophysical surveying, excavation, and artifact analysis to map the site, uncovering structures, ceramics, and other materials that highlight its significance in the transatlantic slave trade and Portuguese-African interactions. This discovery sheds new light on the complex dynamics of early Luso-African settlement in Cape Verde.

Evans, C., Sørensen, M. L. S., Allen, M. J., Appleby, J., Casimiro, T. M., French, C., Inskip, S., Lima, J., Newman, R., Richter, K., & Scaife, R. (2017). Finding Alcatrazes and early Luso-African settlement on Santiago Island, Cape Verde. Antiquity, 91(358). https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2017.104