Topics Related to Cultural Resources (DCR)
A common question we are asked here at the lab is “How do the archaeologists and conservators identify an artifact?” How do we know what we are looking at, what it is made of, and what it was used for?
When we last visited the story of the gentleman pirate, Stede Bonnet had been convicted for his crimes of piracy. Bonnet had to wait an entire month until his scheduled hanging.
Thoughts of piracy evoke visions of vessels and men armed to the teeth. Until recently, weapons from QAR were primarily represented by large artillery. The only trace of small firearms has consisted of a few flintlock mechanisms and copper alloy fittings, such as side plates, trigger guards, and a lone musketoon barrel. It is possible that these parts, having been left behind, were extras or non-functional. Usable firearms would have been easily offloaded following the ship’s grounding.
By the fall of 1718, Blackbeard had returned to his wicked ways in full force. Merchants and planters alike complained about the lack of action on the part of Governor Charles Eden, who may or may not have been colluding with the pirate. North Carolina residents appealed to Virginia’s Governor Alexander Spotswood instead.
As the famous Mythbuster Adam Savage once said, “Remember kids, the only difference between [messing] around and science is writing it down”. The same can be said for archaeology and conservation.
Early November 1718 proved a busy time in the life of Stede Bonnet. If you recall, the gentleman pirate escaped custody in Charleston in October.
“That the next morning after they had all got safe into Topsail-Inlet, except Thatch, the said Thatch’s ship Queen Anne’s Revenge run a-ground off of the bar of Topsail-Inlet….”
October 8, 2018, 12pm - November 29, 2018, 10pm
Previously, we have discussed the process of conserving wood, the sailing of a vessel, the clues unco
Dawn breaks over the East Carolina sky as the intrepid recovery crew makes its way to the remains of Blackbeard’s flagship Queen Anne’s Revenge.