Tablespoon used by archaeologist Professor D J Mulvaney

Metal tablespoon with a clip on the handle to attach it to the rest of a set.

Metal - non specific

https://collectionsearch.nma.gov.au/s/hw/EMU.EMUIRN/59184

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The Pirate Governess of the Med: Sayyida al Hurra

At a time when empires fought for control of the seas, one of the most feared naval powers in the Mediterranean wasn’t a king or an admiral. It was a woman. Sayyida al-Hurra built a maritime force that challenged empires and rewrote expectations of power.

Born in the late 15th century to an Andalusian family forced into exile, Sayyida al-Hurra rose to become the ruler of Tétouan, a key port city in northern Morocco.

Educated, politically astute, and deeply shaped by the displacement of her people following the fall of Granada, she stepped into power after the death of her husband and governed in her own right.

At a time when women rarely held such authority, she not only ruled Tétouan but also became a central figure in Mediterranean privateering, navigating diplomacy, war, and trade with remarkable skill.

Sayyida al-Hurra’s significance lies in how she wielded power in a fractured and hostile world.

With much of Morocco’s coastline controlled by Spanish and Portuguese forces, Tétouan became a rare stronghold, and she turned it into a hub of resistance. Through alliances with figures like Hayreddin Barbarossa, she helped coordinate privateering efforts that disrupted European shipping and asserted regional strength.

To her enemies, she was a pirate. To her people, she was a defender. Protecting trade, rebuilding prosperity, and responding to the displacement and losses her community had endured.

Her leadership blurred the line between piracy and naval warfare, highlighting how perspective shapes history. She didn’t merely inherit power; she actively expanded and defended it, ensuring that Tétouan remained politically and economically relevant during a volatile era.

When she married the Sultan of Morocco, Ahmad al-Wattasi, she did something unprecedented: she refused to leave Tétouan.

Instead, the Sultan travelled to her city for the wedding, the only recorded instance of a Moroccan ruler doing so

Even in marriage, she remained firmly in control of her own domain.

Sayyida al-Hurra’s story resists simple labels. Pirate or protector, ruler or rebel, she was shaped by a turbulent time and responded with decisive leadership. Her legacy lies not just in what she achieved, but in how she redefined authority, proving that power could be claimed, not just inherited.

Sayyida al Hurra. Source.

Sources

qaronline.org/blog/2020-05-25/pirate-profile-sayyida-al-hurra

civilization.fandom.com/wiki/Sayyida_al_Hurra_(Civ7)

thegreasypen.substack.com/p/sayyida-al-hurra-governess-turned

wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayyida_al_Hurra

amazon.co.uk/Untold-Story-Lioness-Sayyida-Pirate-ebook/dp/B0DQJ63Z4J

researchgate.net/publication/371039875_Sayyida_al-Hurra_Hakimat_Tetouan

civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/game-guide/leaders/sayyida-al-hurra/

medium.com/illumination/sayyida-al-hurra-the-muslim-queen-who-redefined-power-far-beyong-just-modesty-dce970ef4b

facebook.com/WomenInWorldHistory/videos/sayyida-al-hurra-was-a-moroccan-privateer-who-governed-the-city-of-t%C3%A9touan-from-/3839984772803041/

medievalists.net/2022/08/pirate-queen-mediterranean-al-sayyida-al-hurra/

History rarely gives us simple heroes or villains, only perspectives. What do you think: was Sayyida al-Hurra a pirate, a protector, or something in between?

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