Blackbeard's Ship Reveals Priceless Artifacts

In a recently recovered ship of the well-known 18th century pirate Blackbeard, archaeologists have discovered a treasure trove of artifacts.

The ship was discovered in 1997 by marine archaeologists from the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, which lies 7 meters underwater and a few miles off Beaufort, North Carolina. During research, archaeologists have found clues that suggest the ship belonged to Blackbeard.

“We feel pretty comfortable that that’s what this is”, said Marke Wilder-Ramsing, director of Queen Annes Revenge project of the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, as cited by ANI.

Blackbeard was the most feared pirate of The Golden Age of Piracy (late 17th – early 18th centuries). Accounts suggest that most of his victims would surrender without a fight just by seeing him. According to researchers, Blackbeard was a tall man with a beard that covered his face. He would strike fear into the hearts of his opponents by adding cannon fuses under his hat and lighting them during battle. Blackbeard was reported to wear a crimson coat, two swords at his waist and a multitude of pistols and knives across his chest.

In March 2009, marine archaeologists found various artifacts of priceless value. Among them are the highly valued navigational instruments which were favored by pirates because they could be easily sold or traded. Two iris flowers, the royal symbol of France, and an apothecary weight were also discovered.

According to researchers, Blackbeard has captured the French ship Le Concorde and renamed it Queen Annes Revenge in 1717. A French surgeon from the Le Concorde was forced to serve in Blackbeard’s crew who might have owned the weights, made for pharmaceutical purposes. However, researchers suggest that the weights could have been used by the pirates to measure gold dust as well.