Cache from Shipwreck Docking at N.C. Museum of History

RALEIGH - A case exhibit of small artifacts from the wreck of what is believed to be Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), Blackbeard’s flagship, will be on display at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh from Jan. 7 through 30. The artifacts are fresh catch from the fall expedition at the shipwreck site near Beaufort. The QAR (www.qaronline.org) ran aground in Beaufort Inlet in 1718, and the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (www.ncculture.com) has led research at the site since 1997.  The exhibit originated at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort, the official repository for the shipwreck artifacts, within the Division of State History Museums.
Among artifacts displayed is a part of a handblown blue-green window pane believed to have been in the captain’s quarters. A brass buckle that may have fastened a belt or a bandolier full of weapons will be exhibited.  Brass scale weights for weighing reale silver coins will be on view. The reale weights were necessary because the smooth-edged coins could be filed or chiseled down (giving rise to the term “chiseler”), thus the coins devalued.

A brass quillon block with gold gilding and blade fragment from a small hunting sword will also be exhibited. The ornate scroll work and fancy handle design were unusual for pirate gear, so the sword may have been acquired on some adventure.   It was recovered in 2007 and has been conserved and readied for display.  See more at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHCSUf1zH0Q.

This wreck was located in November 1996 by Intersal, Inc., with information provided to Operations Director Mike Daniel by company president Phil Masters.  Archaeologists with the N.C. Office of State Archaeology in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources lead the research on this shipwreck.

For more details about the exhibit, call (919) 807-7349. For information about the Museum of History, located at 5 E. Edenton St., call (919) 807-7900 or go to www.ncmuseumofhistory.org. The Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck Project, the N.C. Maritime Museum and the N.C. Museum of History are within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture, and podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources at www.ncculture.com.