Watch as Pirate Blackbeard’s Anchor Lifted Off Ocean Floor Near NC Coast
- Posted on May 27, 2011 at 4:43pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) — Archaeologists recovered the first anchor from what‘s believed to be the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard’s flagship off the North Carolina coast Friday, a move that might change plans about how to save the rest of the almost 300-year-old artifacts from the central part of the ship.
Divers had planned to recover the second-largest artifact on what‘s believed to be the Queen Anne’s Revenge but discovered it was too well-attached to other items in the ballast pile, said project Mark Wilde-Ramsing. Instead they pulled up another anchor that is the third-largest artifact and likely was the typical anchor for the ship.
Apparently, pirates had everyday anchors and special anchors just as the rest of us have everyday dishes and good china.
“That’s a big ship to be putting that out to stop it,” Wilde-Ramsing said admiringly as a pulley system of straps and men holding ropes moved the anchor from a boat to the back of truck. It’s the first large anchor that divers have retrieved; they earlier brought up a small, grapnel anchor.
The anchor is 11 feet, 4 inches long with arms that are 7 feet, 7 inches across. It was covered with concretion – a mixture of shells, sand and other debris attracted by the leaching wrought iron – and a few sea squirts. Its weight was estimated at 2,500 to 3,000 pounds.
The anchor‘s size is typical for a ship the size of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, while the two other anchors probably were used in emergencies, such as storms, Wilde-Ramsing said.
Archaeologists had planned to remove the second-largest anchor, which is 13 feet long with arms that are 8 feet across, from the top of the ballast pile. But it was too well-attached, so instead the divers went in from the side to retrieve the everyday anchor. That means that future dives may involve going in from the side of the shipwreck rather than the top, he said.
Divers will work four days next week, when they’ll decide how to proceed.
State officials hope the anchor and other artifacts will attract tourists. The largest exhibit of artifacts from the shipwreck, which was discovered in 1996, will be shown starting June 11 at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort. Wilde-Ramsing has said the team hopes to recover all the artifacts by the end of 2013.
And the timing of the recovery of the anchor couldn’t be better for North Carolina officials, trying to increase tourism interest in the shipwreck. The Disney film “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” starring Johnny Depp was released earlier this month and features both Blackbeard and the Queen Anne’s Revenge.
The only remaining parts of the ship – the wooden hull structure, ribs and a plank – are at the bottom of the pile, protected by ballast that kept the ship upright. Six cannon and three other anchors are also in the pile.
Wendy Welsh, field conservator and QAR lab manager, and archaeologist Chris Southerly dived in the Atlantic to hook up the anchor for its lift to the ocean surface. “It lifted great,” said Welsh, who has worked with the project for nine years. “I didn‘t think I’d see this day so soon.”
Southerly compared the retrieval to the child’s game of Pick-Up-Sticks, where players toss plastic sticks on a hard surface and then remove them one at a time without disturbing the ones underneath. “It‘s really satisfying that I’ve had privilege of seeing it,” he said.
In 1717, Blackbeard captured a French slave ship and renamed it Queen Anne’s Revenge. Blackbeard, whose real name was widely believed to be Edward Teach or Thatch, settled in Bath and received a governor’s pardon. Volunteers with the Royal Navy killed him in Ocracoke Inlet in November 1718, five months after the ship thought to be Queen Anne’s Revenge sank.
The Queen Anne’s Revenge shipwreck site, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, has already yielded more than 250,000 artifacts.
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nelan72
Posted on May 29, 2011 at 2:29pmThis was found in Al Capone‘s vault along with a unicorn and Obama’s real birth certificate.
Report Post »Bill me later
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 12:30pmTed Kennedy /you know /boat party /now were did my date go to?
Report Post »Rob_M
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 12:14pmI think they were just waiting for the new pirates movie to get it.
Report Post »Derfel Cadarn
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 9:24amOn what facts is determination that this is Black Beards anchor based? Also the stabilization of a ship or any vessel at rest requires more than one holding point,redundant anchoring is required as a preventive measure against breaking free or dragging,people working at sea should know these things. Makes me suspect that they know about as much about the origin of the artifact.
Report Post »bumpbs
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 2:56amI say we raise Black Beard’s ship and show these Somalians what a real pirate ship looks like.
Report Post »SIXFRIGATES
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 12:54amOur pirates would kick any Somali pirate’s ass!
Report Post »flattop
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 11:14pmQ: Arrrrr! Where does a pirate keep ‘is buccaneers?
A: On ‘is buckin ’ead, silly. Arrrrr!
Report Post »cloudsofwar
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 7:14pmWhere is captians JACK SPARROWS anchor?
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:56pmHummmmmmm, Important in what regard??? I like history and stuff but kind of a none story here!
Report Post »Reconstructed leftist
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:51pmIf the everyday anchor and the fancy anchor mated, would they have an ANCHOR BABY ?
Report Post »MontyRay
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:43pm@ILOVECHEESE
Report Post »I think if it is sitting right next to the rest of the wreckage of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, it‘s probably that boat’s anchor. However, I would like to see the ship‘s bell or something else that can confirm that it is the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Not sure if they have that or not. I’m not a birther type :), just interested to know how they confirmed it to be his ship.
chips1
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 7:13pmIf they find a bell, they will probably claim it‘s Quasimoto’s flagship.
Report Post »bjc535
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 8:04pmBirther type?? Is that like someone who wants proof to make sure what they are being spoon fed is true??
I seen nothing wrong in questioning it, and in the end by doing so the real proof was presented. Now it’s okay to swallow what has been fed to you by the MSM that has a history of being a little shady. I did have an issue with making it one of the biggest news. issues though.
Report Post »Shellfrag
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 8:39pmThis project has been going on for about ten years now. Many artifacts have been recovered including The cannons.
http://www.qaronline.org/project/qarintro.htm
Report Post »reckless
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 11:06pmYou realize that it has been “forged”.
Report Post »iLovecheese
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 5:59pmHow do they know for sure Blackbeard’s?
Report Post »Cherynn
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 7:11pmYes, they found Blackbeards sea chest down there on the pile with the other anchor. They know its his sea chest because when they opened it they found clean underwear that still had his name stenciled on it ! :)
Report Post »brickmoon
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 8:14pmAnd they found his monogrammed gym socks in Davy Jones’ locker.
Report Post »Bullcop34
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 5:57pmThe ACLU just called and is now sueing the news reporter for being racist. So now they have agreed to call it….the anchor of a multi-national, entrepreneurial ,endevouring individual that helped bring multi-cultralism to others through redistibution of wealth through one on one , positive contact.
Report Post »TheRealElvis
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 5:36pmI’m offended. Why does it have to be “Blackbeard”? Why can’t it be “Whitebeard” or “Graybeard”? I am really, really, offended.
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:02pmYes, so am I. The racism and innuendos against blacks will never cease, will they? We whites are so brutal, and I’m so ashamed. Not!
Report Post »cranberry
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 5:13pmSO COOL! Drudge didn’t have the video, but I was sure it would be here, Thanks Blaze!
Report Post »NOTALOTTAYITTAYADDA
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 5:05pmGO EZU PIRATES!!
Better than the ivey league aristacrats holding DC hostage from the US public.
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 5:01pmAnother feather in Obama’s cap, he’s now recovered BB’s anchor. What next Al Capone’s vault?
As we all know anything conducted during BHO’s admin is a direct reflection on his leadership.
Report Post »bumpbs
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 3:46amI think they are going to find the remains of Jimmy Hoffa next
Report Post »dizzyinthedark
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 4:08pmCapone’s vault? No vault, just a regular tomb stone. Found in Mount Carmel cemetery in Illinois.
Report Post »LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 4:58pmARRRRRRRRR shiver me thimbers
Report Post »flattop
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 11:39pmAs modern day pirates of the Moluccan Strait say, AWWWWWW shivel me timbels.
Rets keer haur da rand rubbers.
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 4:57pmThat’s way cool. Perhaps they could attach it to Air Force One, that way Obama can’t go vacationing around and might get some work done. Then again, maybe not.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 4:47pmGee, that’s looks just like the anchor I lost a few years back. How do they know it belonged to Blackbeard? One anchor looks like the rest.
Report Post »brickmoon
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 4:55pmIf they pawned it, would that be anchor hocking?
Arrrrr. I got nothin’.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 4:57pmYou can‘t just look at the anchor and say it’s Blackbeards. That’s racist. You have to look at the content of it’s character.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 5:11pmGee. Interesting how “formal” theft for profit and desecration is okay when sanctioned by government and “free market principles” but criminal when it’s a “Citizen” with personal interest.
It’s a FELONY in the Rocky Mountain state I live in to; own, kill or possess a Feather of a host of Bird species, a native American head dress (without historical proof of heritage and lineage), a host of terrestrial animals (usually the only way most would come into contact with these creatures is R.K. (road kill) like a badger, et al., native American artifacts (including arrow heads and pottery shards or whole in many states).
Report Post »LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 5:23pm@Ruler4You
Report Post »I’m pretty sure that stuff lost at sea is under the law called “ Finders Keepers ”
KickinBack
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 5:39pm@Looking both ways
That is unless you discover lost treasure from sunken Spanish Galleons. Apparently Spain wants all that back, and who could blame them? They need all that lost gold to pay for their socialist programs today.
Report Post »Disnylv
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:03pmby the other items near the ship
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:03pmYo Ho, Yo Ho…
Report Post »stifroc
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:12pmYar!
Report Post »All that anchor knows to do is sit around and collect junk off the bottom…
Avast ye scurvy dogs,
Black Beard’s anchor for Senate!!!
bry
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:44pm@ chips1 R R R,,,and a bottle of rum!
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 7:21pmToo bad they didn’t pull up ole Black Beard tied to it.
Report Post »steve5150
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 8:21pmActually it wasn,t Blackbeards anchor. To be accurate he stole it from the French along with the rest of the ship.
Report Post »one yrs. food ration like Glenn says..
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 7:40amWhat’s Jonathan talking about ? I don’t have any good china , I use paper plates and plastic forks… What an idiot.. “ the rest of us ”. sheesh..
Report Post »dizzyinthedark
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 10:45amCan we send it to Soetoro on a chain as a gift from the American people with a note:
Dear Mr. President,
Please accept this gift from the American people. Wear everyday with pride because this is the weight we all feel from you and your administration. You are a ‘drag’ on our economy, our pocket books, and at the grocery store!
Yours truly,
Report Post »WE THE PEOPLE!
JGraham III
Posted on May 28, 2011 at 8:07pmNope! Just glassy-eyed stares….
Report Post »