Look for dolphins in the surf, and see if you can spot any shipwrecks along the way. Blackbeard was killed in the battle that ensued Nov. His headless body is believed to be buried in a mass grave somewhere on the island. It was the first beach outside of Hawaii or Florida to be given the honor. The museum has displays of shipwrecks related to piracy and warfare off the coast from the late 17th century through Manacle-like restraints and glass beads of the sort frequently traded in Africa have been recovered.
Archaeologists have salvaged several objects inscribed with fleurs-de-lis—a symbol that was often, though not exclusively, associated with France. But since pirates acquired loot from everywhere, the best clues may be in the bones of the ship itself. Fortunately, part of the vessel remained covered in sand. When the team recovered a 3,pound piece of the stern, they found two draft marks meant to show how much of the vessel was below the waterline. But, Moore realized, If these numbers signify a date, , it would be the death knell for the Blackbeard theory.
But researchers say the figure more likely refers to an antiquated weight system or perhaps a catalog number. Meanwhile, archaeologists are itching to start work on the largest concretion of all: a huge pile of cannons and anchors still on the seafloor. They hope the mound is big enough to contain preserved material for micro-organic analysis. Bits of food, sediment or insect parts could tie the ship to the Caribbean or Africa. This shipwreck from the Ottoman period was discovered meters below the surface of the Black Sea.
It's one of a trove of ships recently found by a research vessel. Archaeologists think a French crewman might have hidden the gold in a barrel of shot to conceal it from Blackbeard's pirates. Related: exclusive pictures of Blackbeard pirate relics and gold. The disclaimer about the wreck's identity was more an acknowledgement of the strict code of scientific scrutiny than the result of any serious doubts about the ship's identity, said Erik Goldstein, curator of arts and numismatics—the study of coins and tokens—for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia.
Archaeologists working on the wreck were always sure of its identity. State officials "were just being safe," Goldstein said. It was good, responsible behavior on the part of those folks. There were two reasons for dropping the official doubt about the identity of the shipwreck, added David Moore , curator of nautical archaeology at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort.
First, the museum recently opened "Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge , " a greatly expanded exhibit of artifacts from the shipwreck.
Had the confirmation of the ship's identity not been made, curators would have had to title the exhibition something like "Artifacts From the Purported Queen Anne's Revenge , " Moore said. Also, removing the official caveat could help the museum secure private funding to continue excavating the wreck, Moore said. Although the state legislature provides some funding, he said, tight budgets are cutting into that money. Learn how archaeologists discovered 23 shipwrecks in 22 days.
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