At the Bottom of the Sea
	
In 1996, the wreck of a 16th century merchant ship was found off the coast of North Carolina. Historians wondered if it might be the remains of a pirate vessel. Rescue, recovery, and scientific analysis began. Finally, after 15 years, the wreck has been positively identified. It is the Queen Anne's Revenge.

The most famous pirate in history was Edward Teach. He is best known as Blackbeard the pirate. In 1717, Blackbeard stole a French merchant ship. He renamed it the Queen Anne's Revenge. This 40-gun flagship led his four-vessel pirate flotilla for almost a year. Then in 1718, Blackbeard's mighty ship ran aground near Beaufort Inlet. His pirates loaded the cargo onto another ship before the flagship sank.

Since its discovery, underwater archaeologists have spent years mapping the wreck. They have taken photographs and made drawings. Divers have tagged thousands of artifacts. Many artifacts were buried in hard masses of shell, sand, and seawater. These concrete-covered items have been x-rayed to see what is hidden inside. Separating these artifacts is slow work. So far, more than 20,000 have been recovered. These include the ship's anchor, five cannons, the ship's bell, navigation instruments, gold dust, and pewter plates.

Scientists, historians, and archaeologists have analyzed the artifacts. They have compared them to historical records. Dates and places printed or stamped on individual items have been matched to the records of cargo stolen from other ships. The Queen Anne's Revenge had been lost for almost 300 years. Now the evidence proves that the wreck is Blackbeard's flagship.









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