Maritime piracy has been around for more than 3,500 years. The earliest documented raids on ships occurred around 1350 BCE when a group known as the Sea Peoples attacked ships and ports across the Mediterranean. But the height of piracy only arrived in the 1600s, during an era now known as the Golden Age of Piracy.
This period was brief but unforgettable, when outlaw sailors attacked trade routes and created legends that still influence how we imagine piracy today. But beyond the familiar images of black flags and buried treasure, piracy was a brutal and bloody affair.
Curious? Click on to learn more about this time in history.