Treasure that might have belonged to Captain Kidd found off Madagascar

Buried treasure that may have belonged to the notorious Scottish pirate Captain Kidd has been discovered by archaeologists in Madagascar.

The office of the country's president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, posted the first image of divers recovering a hulk of silver on its official Twitter account on Thursday.

"The discovery of a wreck and treasure in the waters," the message said.

A joint UK-US archaeological research mission found the 55kg bar of silver in shallow waters off Saint Marie island, the office said.

The team in Madagascar was led by Barry Clifford, an underwater investigator who in 2000 discovered some remains of William Kidd's ship, Adventure Galley, including a metal oarlock, shards of Ming porcelain and bottles of rum, three centuries old. The president's office said the silver may be part of a treasure haul belonging to Kidd from the same ship.

The bar is imprinted with a T and an S as well as other smaller carvings of numbers. Soldiers have been guarding it since it was brought to shore by divers.

Rajaonarimampianina was presented with the bar at a ceremony on Thursday attended by British and US diplomats, which the president's office said was a "symbolic" gesture.