Hilt of 18th-century pirate Blackbeard’s sword may have been found
January 16th, 2011 - 4:11 pm ICT by ANI
Washington, Jan 16 (ANI): Archaeologists who have been excavating the sunken Queen Anne’s Revenge for more than ten years discovered a gilded sword hilt that may have belonged to Blackbeard, the infamous pirate of the 18th century.
National Geographic published photos released by the team, which has been searching the sunken ship off the coast of North Carolina since 1997.
According to Time, the sword hilt was found in pieces, but reassembled for the picture released by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.
The fragments of the hilt and pommel are ornamental and possibly of French design, reports AOL News.
The department does not directly claim that the hilt belonged to Blackbeard, but speculates the hilt may have been discarded after the shipwreck.
“In any event, the pirates would have had ample opportunity to take anything that they thought valuable,” said David Moore of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. (ANI)
- Treasure trove of artifacts recovered from Blackbeard's 18th-century ship - Apr 01, 2009
- Anchor from Blackbeard's flagship on display in US museum - Oct 22, 2009
- Archaeologists seeking ancient booty dive to Blackbeard's pirate ship - Oct 05, 2010
- Largest-ever Anglo-Saxon treasure trove discovered in Britain - Sep 24, 2009
- Titanic wreckage to become Unesco heritage - Apr 06, 2012
- Irish archaeologists say Spanish Armada wreck found - Aug 06, 2011
- ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean 4’ New Video Speaks About Some Characters - Jan 25, 2011
- Blackbeard was American, not English, claims historian - May 18, 2009
- Wreckage of 16th century ship discovered off Brazil - Mar 01, 2012
- Armenia is the motherland of metallurgy, wine-making and horse breeding - Jul 06, 2010
- Women from around the world to assess role of technology - Feb 02, 2012
- Penelope Cruz Reveals Angelica And Sparrow Secret - Jan 26, 2011
- 2,600-year-old helmet found in Israel - Mar 01, 2012
- 1,400-year-old pyramid 'used for ritual sacrifices' - Oct 22, 2010
- In death, they were together - Oct 23, 2011
Tags: 18th century, ample opportunity, archaeologists, cultural resources, fragments, french design, infamous pirate, national geographic, north carolina department, photos, pirate blackbeard, pirates, pommel, queen anne, revenge, shipwreck, sunken ship, sword hilt