On January 15, 2004, an estimated 250 people jammed into laboratory
and office spaces at East Carolina University's West Research Campus
to dedicate the new 4,000 square foot Conservation Laboratory for the
Queen Anne's Revenge Shipwreck Project. Those in attendance represented
scientists, local, state, and federal agencies, business organizations,
universities, and enthusiastic individual supporters. The event was
one more example of the cooperative spirit that has dominated the Project
since it began in 1997.
It was a festive occasion with congratulations among old
and new friends, numerous exhibits and artifacts on display, lab tours,
a ribbon cutting ceremony, and a buffet luncheon. Prominent individuals
were on the program to welcome the group and praise the creation of
the Lab: ECU Chancellor William E. Shelton, Dr. Timothy Runyan, Director,
Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology, and James T. Cheatham III,
Maritime Studies benefactor; Secretary Lisbeth Evans, N.C. Department
of Cultural Resources; Dr. David Nateman, Director, North Carolina Maritime
Museum, and Sarah Watkins-Kenney, QAR Conservator.
Secretary Evans told the group that the "facility is a wonderful
addition to the QAR project, not only because it increases
the number of artifacts we can raise, but it also provides double
the space for conservation". Over 11,000 artifacts have been
transferred from cramped quarters at Morehead City and Fort Fisher.
Some of them are nearing the end of their conservation treatments
and will be sent to the N.C. Maritime Museum for display. Researchers
estimate that the16,000 artifacts recovered thus far represent only
2 percent of the site's remains, which is likely to exceed a million
individual pieces. The exploration of the shipwreck cannot, therefore,
properly proceed without an adequately supported conservation facility
and staff to clean, study and preserve the encrusted remains that
Blackbeard and his crew left on the seafloor. Therefore, the partnership
celebrated today between DCR and ECU is vitally important to provide
research, public outreach and site preservation of North Carolina's
most historic and internationally recognized shipwreck.
