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We're Working to Bring Blackbeard's Queen Ashore
One artifact at a time, our researchers are uncovering and preserving maritime and pirate history. You can become part of this endeavor.
Visit our Lab and Museums
Pirates and Ships, Dives and Discoveries
Learn about Blackbeard, the Queen Anne's Revenge, and underwater archaeology with classroom-friendly educational resources.
View Educational ResourcesAn Infamous Legacy, Stretching Back 300 Years...
As archaeologists, conservators, and historians, the Queen Anne's Revenge Conservation Lab and Underwater Archaeology Branch of the Office of State Archaeology is dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of the past. Join us as we explore day by day the origins of Blackbeard, his famous flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, and his misadventures along the Carolina coast.
Upcoming Events
Saturday at the QAR Lab
Did you know Queen Anne’s Revenge did not always sail under that name? Come find out more about the history of La Concorde, a slave-trading vessel which later became the infamous pirate Blackbeard’s flagship. Register for Saturday at the QAR Lab on November 2, 2019 for a FREE guided tour from the archaeologists and conservators responsible for conserving, documenting, and investigating this one ship with two names!
Blackbeard's Prize Lay Submerged for Over 250 Years...
The origins of Queen Anne's Revenge's, much like its Captain's, Blackbeard, stretch into an obscurity beyond the historical record.
We do know that the story of QAR began long before it fell into the famed pirate's clutches. In fact, Blackbeard's captaining of QAR likely constituted only a small portion of the vessel's seafaring years. Before Blackbeard, it belonged to a wealthy French merchant, trafficking human cargo across the Atlantic on the notorious "Middle Passage." After 1718, it belonged, for a time, to the ocean alone.
Since its discovery near Beaufort inlet in 1996, the remains of the vessel have become the property of the people of North Carolina, under the stewardship of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Join the Crew
Archaeological Research
Our project draws together some of the leading scientists in the nation to advance the standards of practice in archaeology and conservation and provides students with hands-on learning experiences in maritime history, archaeology and preservation.
Economic Impact
The work that the our team does shines the national spotlight on North Carolina's Crystal Coast, bringing more than 300,000 visitors annually to the region annual and helping them explore the story of colonial North Carolina.
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