1 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:11,553 September 1999. 2 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:13,437 On the East coast of America, 3 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:15,829 Hurricane Floyd thunders over a shipwreck 4 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:19,879 that had lain undiscovered for nearly 300 years. 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,394 The discovery of this wreck could open a window 6 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,870 on to the most notorious pirate in history. 7 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,672 Blackbeard. 8 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,477 For over 300 years, the twisted coastline of North Carolina 9 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,195 has echoed with the tales of pirates that once plundered the trade 10 00:01:15,320 --> 00:01:17,151 routes of the American colonies. 11 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:20,511 One legend in particular lives on to this day. 12 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:25,953 The story of Blackbeard, hell raiser of the high seas. 13 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,992 The scant information available about Blackbeard's life, 14 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,396 suggests he was English, possibly from Bristol. 15 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,756 A book written a few years after his death in 1718, 16 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:42,871 portrays him as a devil, 17 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:45,918 his face almost obscured by his beard 18 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,191 which was twisted in to braids. 19 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:52,719 He was heavily armed, 20 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,072 and he wore smoking fuses in his hair to invoke a vision of hell. 21 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,111 The image he created for himself 22 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,789 struck fear in to those who crossed him. 23 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:08,079 Blackbeard is the one pirate whose myth has survived the centuries. 24 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,232 But now, the myth is becoming a reality. 25 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,430 Wreck hunter, Phil Masters, 26 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,592 first came to North Carolina nine years ago, 27 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,757 and heard stories about Blackbeard's fabled ship, 28 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:26,871 the Queen Anne's Revenge. 29 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:28,353 With the Queen Anne's Revenge, 30 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:32,075 he was the major Naval power in the new world. 31 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,277 She was the dominant ship in the Americas, 32 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,391 and nobody could defy her. 33 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:38,953 Nobody could threaten her. 34 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,999 Nobody could come to battle with her, including the Royal Navy. 35 00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:47,718 With the Queen Anne's Revenge under his control, 36 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,638 Blackbeard was almost invincible. 37 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,877 But records state that on the 10th June 1718, 38 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,669 the ship went down at Beaufort Inlet. 39 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:02,758 The area is vast, 40 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,992 and Phil Masters had no idea where to start looking. 41 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:14,750 An 18th Century eyewitness report, made by a pirate called David Herriot, 42 00:03:14,920 --> 00:03:18,959 provided a vital clue to the wreck's location. 43 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:23,473 Herriot had joined forces 44 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,070 with Blackbeard after his boat was captured by the pirate. 45 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,351 He had seen exactly where the Queen Anne's Revenge was lost. 46 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:31,475 He claimed 47 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:36,156 she had run aground on the sand-bar at the mouth of Beaufort Inlet. 48 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,794 And I knew immediately that I had found what I was looking for 49 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,277 in terms of being able to narrow down, and pinpoint the search 50 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,516 for Queen Anne's Revenge. 51 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:54,909 It was a eureka moment. 52 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,316 The search for the wreck then shifted to the area of shallow water 53 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:02,476 over the sand-bar. 54 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:03,919 Using a magnetometer, 55 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,635 Phil started out by looking for large metal objects like cannon, 56 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,638 or anchors lying on the sea floor. 57 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:15,475 He searched for nine years, until he noticed something was wrong. 58 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:21,270 We came to realise we had been magging in the wrong area. 59 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,837 We had a series of historical charts, 60 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,839 starting with the 1738 Wimble map, this is a copy of the Wimble, 61 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,435 showing where the sand-bars had been in those days. 62 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,757 We came to realise we shouldn't be looking where the sand-bars are now, 63 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:40,150 we should be looking where the sand-bars were in 1718. 64 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:42,236 And we started looking in this area, 65 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,756 and 11 days after he started looking, right there, 66 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,553 we found Queen Anne's revenge. 67 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,995 20 feet below the surface, 68 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:57,716 lies a chaotic mass of anchors, ballast stones and cannon. 69 00:04:57,800 --> 00:04:59,074 The problem was, 70 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:03,711 how could Phil prove this was the remains of Blackbeard's flagship? 71 00:05:03,840 --> 00:05:09,119 Answering that question has led him on an extraordinary voyage of discovery. 72 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,834 A team of underwater archaeologists and historians 73 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,316 have come to Beaufort to join forces with Phil. 74 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,034 They have just two weeks to see if they can find clues 75 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,998 that will identify the wreck. 76 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:22,553 Time is against them, 77 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:24,636 and the ever present threat of hurricanes 78 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:29,311 is posing some serious problems for project leader, Mark Ramsing. 79 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:31,710 ...test the equipment out. But mainly, 80 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:35,992 and it's going to be the top priority, is looking at the condition of the site, 81 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,350 and we're going to have a lot of deciding 82 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,870 what we might have to bring up now, and how we're going to protect it 83 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:43,718 for the next few months. 84 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:44,955 And I don't know that some of 85 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,600 that structure is going to take another hurricane. 86 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,279 With these concerns foremost in their minds, 87 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,955 the team sets out early on their first dive day. 88 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,231 Expertise is not the only thing that binds them together. 89 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:05,717 They also share an admiration for Blackbeard, the man. 90 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:15,160 We get this-this picture of a man who was basically larger than life. 91 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:21,037 That he demanded respect, and commanded men very easily. 92 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:28,792 I respect him for his intelligence, I respect him for his ability to 93 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:30,279 put forth an image 94 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:35,195 that allowed him to accomplish what he did accomplish in a short period of time. 95 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,557 It's the first dive, and they're all anxious. 96 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:48,231 No-one knows what damage the hurricane will have done to the wreck. 97 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:49,515 I'm concerned. 98 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,871 You're always concerned when you've got something as fragile as 99 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,878 a wooden hull structure that's been exposed to the elements, 100 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,958 like we have the past month. 101 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,548 So, it's going to be interesting. 102 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,756 Once in the water, the divers face their first problem 103 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:16,351 The recent hurricane has dumped a layer of fine mud over the site. 104 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:19,756 Visibility is down to zero. 105 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,518 Nathan, is there anything we can do to help you? 106 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:29,509 You could clear up the visibility a little bit, that would help a lot. 107 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,997 Are you the one I'm feeling? 108 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:36,795 No! You're er... feeling Dave! 109 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,428 Er... oh-kay.! 110 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:42,230 Okay, you said, you're working on the south side 111 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,949 and have located some new wood structure. Over. 112 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:50,835 I'm not sure if it's new or not. Looks like there was some... 113 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:52,109 On the dive boat, 114 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:56,273 project leader, Mark Ramsing waits anxiously for news from below. 115 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,391 ...but I believe we're on the south side. 116 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:03,116 We seem to be working back around the... Over. 117 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:05,669 Okay, roger that. 118 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:10,117 If you come up on the anchor or cannons, let me know. 119 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,989 Yeah. Ten four. As soon as I can find it. 120 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,709 The divers soon discover that Hurricane Floyd has blown away 121 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,351 tons of sand that was protecting the ship's hull. 122 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:31,511 If this battered structure is the remains of the Queen Anne's Revenge, 123 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,598 it started out life under a very different name. 124 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,076 The ship was originally French, and called the Concord. 125 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:42,119 She was transporting 500 African slaves to the Caribbean, 126 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,471 when on the 28th November 1717, 127 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:50,594 Blackbeard captured her off the island of Martinique. 128 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:58,234 Well, we have a number of different documents that 129 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,397 kind of give us the background of how Blackbeard 130 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,671 came in to possession of the Concord. 131 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,679 The crew was weakened by dysentery, 132 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,678 and they had just a few hands available to fight. 133 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:14,872 They had just completed a transAtlantic voyage, 134 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:19,988 and so probably were not in the mood to fight off a bunch of pirates. 135 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:28,229 The ship stayed under Blackbeard's command for less than a year 136 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,353 before wrecking on the sandy shores of North Carolina. 137 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,994 The area is known as the graveyard of the Atlantic, 138 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,753 and with so many wrecks littering the sea-floor, 139 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,239 the team have to be sure 140 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:43,911 that what they've found is the Queen Anne's Revenge. 141 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:49,150 We do believe that the ship that was captured and became Queen Anne's 142 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:54,268 Revenge was 200,250 tons, which would put it around 90 feet in length. 143 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,516 We think it was a three masted ship. 144 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:03,079 The overall site dimensions that we have here run roughly 90 to 100 feet, 145 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,352 so it looks very good in that regard. The length of the anchors, 146 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:11,149 the size of the anchors correspond with a ship of that tonnage, 147 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:13,708 so what we have here, from what we've seen, 148 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:17,879 fits very closely with the historical records of the Concord. 149 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,958 One of the clues that will help prove the identity of the wreck 150 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,674 is the number of cannon found on the site. 151 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,439 So far,18 have been uncovered. 152 00:10:26,560 --> 00:10:30,553 If this is Blackbeard's ship, there should be more. 153 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:34,150 People that encountered Blackbeard say that he had 22,28. 154 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,879 Finally, you see this figure 40 thrown out a lot, 155 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,673 but it may be people just repeating the same story. 156 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:41,791 If we don't find any more than 18, 157 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:43,239 I don't think that's going to cause us to say, 158 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:45,112 well, this can't be Queen Anne's Revenge, 159 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:48,676 but the more guns we find, the better it will look. 160 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,992 But it is certainly important, Because a vessel this well armed 161 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:57,756 is likely to be a navy vessel, a naval vessel that is reported. 162 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,229 You don't just lose navy vessels 163 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,715 out in the ocean and not know where they are. 164 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,638 So I think that that's important to remember, 165 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,558 that this is a heavily armed vessel, and we have no records 166 00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:11,035 of any heavily armed vessels in that area, 167 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,395 except for Queen Anne's Revenge. 168 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:20,589 The search for more cannon is a vital part of the project, 169 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,269 and with less than two weeks to go, time is precious. 170 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:26,635 The following morning, Richard Lawrence unveils 171 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:28,039 a new piece of equipment 172 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:33,433 that he hopes will reveal any new cannon hidden under the sand. 173 00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:36,711 This is an instrument called a gradiometer, which is actually two 174 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,759 magnetometer sensors, one up on top and one down below, 175 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:42,313 and what it does is, 176 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,233 like any magnetometer, it measures the earth's magnetic field, 177 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,630 but it takes these two readings and subtracts from each other, 178 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,433 so you're getting a very localised reading. 179 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:53,039 And that's what we're looking for, 180 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,435 because we're looking for very localised changes 181 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:57,790 in the bottom magnetic readings, that will show us 182 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:02,835 large things like cannons, but also small objects. 183 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:11,118 The extraordinary sensitivity of the gradiometer means it can't be towed 184 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:13,515 behind the boat like a magnetometer. 185 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,239 The survey team will have to carry it by hand, 186 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:20,353 and carefully position it on the sea floor. 187 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:39,796 Magnetic readings will have to be taken every two and a half feet 188 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,751 across the entire site, 189 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,633 if they're going to spot any new cannon. 190 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:07,192 The survey covers an area of over 13,000 square metres. 191 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,950 The sheer number of cannon aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, 192 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:29,991 and the three other small boats in his fleet, 193 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,072 made Blackbeard a force to be reckoned with. 194 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:35,714 But he seldom had to use his fire power. 195 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,315 His flag was enough to strike terror in to his victims, 196 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,432 causing them to surrender without a fight. 197 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:46,872 It portrayed a skeleton of the devil holding a spear and an hour glass. 198 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,878 The message was clear, surrender now, 199 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,269 your time is up. 200 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,554 For seven months, Blackbeard sailed the coast 201 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:02,633 from the Caribbean to North Carolina, amassing a fortune. 202 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:06,918 He took over 23 ships and robbed them of anything that had any value. 203 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:09,918 During his reign of terror, nobody could stop him, 204 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:11,598 not even the Royal Navy, 205 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:17,152 who had a mere ten ships defending the entire American coastline. 206 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:23,910 In the end, firepower alone couldn't protect the Queen Anne's Revenge. 207 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:28,511 Eyewitness testimony reveals that on the 10th June 1718, 208 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,108 she struck a submerged sand-bar, 209 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,431 and was unable to free herself. 210 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,476 Abandoned to the elements, she gradually fell apart, 211 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:49,116 spilling her contents on to the sea-floor. 212 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,715 This is all that remains today. 213 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:56,391 Most of the timber has rotted away, but parts of the hull lie exposed. 214 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:01,469 Their position suggests that she keeled over on to her left side. 215 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:07,878 The archaeologists will need to look at every fragment of evidence over 216 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,679 the entire site if they are going to shed more light on to 217 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,194 Blackbeard's story. 218 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,553 In an area that has been mapped and re-mapped, 219 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,319 Wayne Lusardi, the project conservator, 220 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:33,428 has discovered something new, uncovered by the recent hurricane. 221 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:42,073 It's a folded up pewter platter, 222 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,156 the seventh to have been brought up from the site, 223 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:48,034 and each one has provided vital clues. 224 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:08,191 We're not real sure if these platters were being used on the ship, 225 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:10,788 or if they were plunder taken from other ships, 226 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:14,151 or even if they were left over trade goods destined for 227 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:19,479 the African market when Concord was still a slaver. 228 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:21,397 Several of the platters we found 229 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:26,036 impressions of fabric along the rim, suggesting that they were in storage, 230 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,515 and wrapped up in some type of material. 231 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:30,995 And none of them have extensive cut marks, 232 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,351 anything other than abrasive marks that were formed on the bottom. 233 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:36,675 So it doesn't look like any of them were used, 234 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,917 so it certainly suggests they were in storage. 235 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,599 Cleaning the platter is a priority. 236 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,872 The other six were all found to have letters stamped in to the surface. 237 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,719 Some are manufacturer's marks, which have been traced back to London 238 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:54,155 in the early part of the 18th Century, 239 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:58,717 precisely the right period if the ship is the Queen Anne's Revenge. 240 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:02,793 Other marks may provide even more positive proof. 241 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:06,516 These letters BSA, 242 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,039 are probably a monogram, 243 00:17:08,120 --> 00:17:12,830 unique to an individual and can potentially be traced. 244 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,234 If you could somehow tie that to a captain 245 00:17:17,360 --> 00:17:19,999 or a ship that was captured by him. 246 00:17:20,120 --> 00:17:21,553 Or a wealthy passenger. 247 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:24,433 Or a wealthy passenger, something like that I think would. 248 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,632 Something that is very specific, 249 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:31,912 very definite to one ship. Another advantage we have, 250 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,474 potentially, at some point, 251 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,751 is knowing all of the men who sailed on the Concord, 252 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,479 all the officers, all the men and their names. 253 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:42,556 And at some point we could find 254 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:45,797 anything, a ring, medallion, anything that had a monogram, or actually 255 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:50,710 name insized or etched or whatever, on something like that, 256 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:54,116 then track it back to the original crew of the Concord 257 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:56,993 before it was even captured. 258 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:00,675 The platters were not the only stolen pewter wear 259 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,553 that Blackbeard left behind. 260 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,592 Pewter was the plastic of the 18th Century, 261 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:08,836 cheap and malleable, 262 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:10,956 it could be made in to almost anything, 263 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,674 and this battered object would have been a vital edition 264 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,196 to life aboard a pirate ship. 265 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:19,915 Syringes like this were used for 266 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,316 typically for the treatment of venereal diseases. 267 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:26,915 They were filled with mercury and that was injected. 268 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,110 Doesn't sound very pleasant. 269 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,073 Syringes in general were pretty common in medicine chests 270 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,510 on board ship, especially on transAtlantic vessels. 271 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:39,633 But there is quite a few rumours that Blackbeard's crews were 272 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,349 engaged in all sorts of extra-curricular activities. 273 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:45,675 Many of his men purportedly had - 274 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:47,552 came down with venereal diseases and 275 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,468 he needed medicines for that those treatment. 276 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,759 Medical supplies would have been a valuable prize in a pirate raid, 277 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:58,917 and the syringe certainly dates from Blackbeard's period, 278 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,679 but it's not enough to prove it was his. 279 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:05,719 The historians know his ship went down in 1718. 280 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,149 If this is the wreck of the Queen Anne's Revenge, 281 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:12,916 everything found on the site has to come from before that date. 282 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:17,833 If we were to locate anything out there on the site 283 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:22,596 that would post-date 1718. 284 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,474 If we were to find a coin or something else with a date 285 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:30,633 etched in it,1719 or later, 286 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,469 it would basically be back to the drawing board. 287 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:36,198 Each artefact they find 288 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,312 has the potential to throw the project in to disarray, 289 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:42,477 and so far, only one item brought up from the site 290 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:44,391 is actually date marked. 291 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:46,397 Perhaps the most important 292 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:51,355 artefact that has come from the site actually 293 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:56,036 had a date on it, and that was a bell, 294 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,390 about 14 inches tall, 295 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,790 that is not French, it's not English. 296 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:03,558 It appears to be Spanish 297 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:07,952 with the inscription Anno Dei 1709 or year of 1709, 298 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,992 around the bottom of the waste of the bell. 299 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:14,356 Why it's Spanish? Was it plunder, 300 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,153 captured and taken off of an earlier prize, 301 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:19,999 we just do not know. But, nonetheless, 302 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:25,035 the important element on the bell is that date 1709. 303 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:29,871 Every time an object is recovered, 304 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,639 the archaeologists try to date it. 305 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,672 Despite the destruction caused to the site by hurricanes, 306 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,553 a delicate glass wine bottle has been found, 307 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,956 perfectly preserved by a layer of sand. 308 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,469 Wine bottles like these have a highly distinctive shape 309 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:46,477 and are easily dated. 310 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:50,070 The design involved, over time and by comparing it to others, 311 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,476 they can tell this bottle was made in about 1712, 312 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:58,276 six years before the Queen Anne's Revenge went down. 313 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:00,832 But there's another object in the lab that might 314 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:02,916 threaten the whole project. 315 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:07,591 It appears to be dated 12 years after she sank. 316 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,276 This cannon, brought up two years ago, 317 00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:19,511 has been sitting in a tank being cleaned. 318 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,473 As the centuries of encrustation have fallen away, 319 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:26,036 marks etched on to the surface have gradually been revealed, 320 00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:30,557 a series of numbers that have got the team worried. 321 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:35,592 Between these two reinforcement bands, 322 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:37,432 there's a series of numbers, 323 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:39,835 and if you shut the lights off I can show you, 324 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,111 with a shadow, here it goes. 325 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,552 Right here is the first number, one, 326 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:54,908 and then following on there is a 7. Let's see here. 327 00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:59,154 And then a 3. 328 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:02,314 Then over here, a smaller zero, 329 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,237 or possibly a zero. 330 00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:07,318 You have 1730. 331 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,712 As everyone knows, the Queen Anne's Revenge went down in 1718, 332 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,752 so we're hoping that this does not represent 1730 date, 333 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,111 otherwise we're going to have to find a new project for it. 334 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:21,068 What it likely represents is the weight of the gun 335 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,078 in hundred weights. It was very important to know 336 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,714 the weight of guns so that you can ballast the ship properly. 337 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,837 So we have the 17 and a 3 and a possibly zero. 338 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,117 And if you turn the lights back on... 339 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,072 During this time they would weigh these in hundred weights 340 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:38,957 and quarter weights, and a hundred weight 341 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:42,157 at the time is a 112Ibs, a quarter weight was 28. 342 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:49,032 So if you do the maths, by multiplying 17 x112, 343 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:58,791 and then add that to 3x28, come up with 1988Ibs. 344 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,832 What we're going to do is we're going to weigh this gun and see how 345 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:06,590 favourably it compares with what these markings are. 346 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,390 Doesn't weigh anything. 347 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,478 Zero, we were wrong. 348 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:43,589 What's the weight? 349 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:49,238 It's between 1800 and 1900Ibs. 350 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:51,954 That's what those numbers say there. Yeah. 351 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:54,913 I'd say it's a weight. I'd say it's a pretty close match. 352 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,675 It's not exact. It's not exactly 1988Ibs, 353 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,473 but it's very close. 354 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:07,199 So the cannon may still date from before 1718. 355 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,153 The theory that the wreck is the Queen Anne's Revenge 356 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:12,589 remains intact. 357 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:20,550 Day five, and the hunt for more cannon continues. 358 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,511 Data from the gradiometer survey looks intriguing, 359 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:40,030 but only 800 readings have been taken so far. 360 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,993 There's another 1300 to go. 361 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:56,799 122 metres to the south of the survey area, 362 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,395 the divers have made an amazing discovery. 363 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:04,513 The find is completely unexpected and may reveal exactly what happened 364 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,473 the day Blackbeard lost his flagship. 365 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:12,116 It's an anchor, but it had a very specific use. 366 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:22,071 When we first saw it, all we saw was a fluke sticking up out of the sand. 367 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,033 We dredged out around it and discovered that the wooden stock 368 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:29,636 on the anchor is in excellent condition. 369 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:33,558 Finding a wooden stock 370 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,110 was the key to linking this anchor to the main wreck site. 371 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:41,592 When the wood was dated, it matched precisely to Blackbeard's time. 372 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:43,910 The anchor is a long way from the ship, 373 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:47,271 and the reason for this could force the team to completely rethink 374 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,518 the events of June 10th,1718. 375 00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:58,991 The wrecking of the Queen Anne's Revenge 376 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:02,749 is described in the deposition signed by David Herriot. 377 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:06,031 Herriot claims that the disaster was not an accident. 378 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:07,195 He insisted 379 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:12,314 that Blackbeard had intentionally run his own flagship aground. 380 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,956 It was his testimony that Blackbeard had, indeed, 381 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,430 run the ships aground on purpose in order to break up the company. 382 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,551 They had anywhere from 3 to 400 men 383 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:27,714 in that command and four ships, and it appears that Blackbeard was, 384 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:30,308 indeed, attempting to downsize his crew 385 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:32,994 for any number of different reasons. 386 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:38,992 According to the testimony, 387 00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:42,032 Iosing the Queen Anne's Revenge was part of Blackbeard's plan to 388 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:46,711 get rid of some of his men, including the resentful Herriot. 389 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:48,068 But close examination 390 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,630 of the south anchor seems to tell a different story. 391 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,320 Dredging away the sand, the archaeologists 392 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:58,433 uncovered the anchor ring and found it was stretched out. 393 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:03,509 This position suggests a completely different sequence of events. 394 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:07,197 When QAR got stuck, 395 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:10,437 they sent a small boat out with the south anchor. 396 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:13,757 They dropped it far enough away so they could pull on 397 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,673 the anchor to perhaps pull themselves off of the sand. 398 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:20,190 In the process of doing that, when you use a kedge anchor, 399 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,153 you cause a stress on the rope and the anchor, 400 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:27,472 the anchor will swing around so that its shaft points directly 401 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,591 to the direction it's being pulled from. 402 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:31,716 So when we found it, the first 403 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:33,876 thing we checked to see was which way the shaft was pointing, 404 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,316 and the shaft is pointing directly at QAR. 405 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,200 This would mean that although Blackbeard was a highly 406 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:44,594 skilled navigator, 407 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,831 and knew the treacherous coast of North Carolina well, 408 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:52,988 it's possible that he was caught unawares by the sand-bar. 409 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:02,513 My impression is that 410 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:05,279 he would have not intentionally grounded Queen Anne's Revenge. 411 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:06,913 She was the instrument of his power, 412 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,788 and I believe it was an accident, and once it happened, 413 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:13,997 he did the best he could to make the best of a bad situation, 414 00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:17,590 but that was not an intentional act. 415 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:20,598 With the ship lost, 416 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,995 Herriot's testimony explains that Blackbeard marooned 417 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,197 his unwanted crew on a barren island. 418 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,039 He then sailed away on one of his smaller boats, 419 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,628 taking their share of the treasure with him. 420 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:33,796 With no way of escaping, the men would have died 421 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:37,754 if a ship hadn't passed by a few days later. 422 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,871 By treating his men cruelly, 423 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,560 Blackbeard maintained his fearsome image. 424 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:51,629 His often ruthless outbursts were designed for maximum effect. 425 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,072 One night, he suddenly turned on Israel Hands, 426 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,913 one of his most trusted men. 427 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:02,673 In a moment of sheer devilry, 428 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,479 he slipped his pistols from his bandoleer, 429 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:09,354 without pausing to explain, he shot the man through the knee. 430 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:13,075 When asked why he had done such a thing, he answered, 431 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,760 "if I did not now and then kill one of them, 432 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,434 they would forget who I was" 433 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:22,992 Although life was harsh in Blackbeard's fleet, 434 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:24,997 there existed a strange kind of democracy, 435 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,759 which meant his crew could have voted him from his command, 436 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:30,917 had he tried to rule by terror alone. 437 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,349 He remained their leader for as long as he was successful 438 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:35,789 in making them rich. 439 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:41,792 Back at the site, 440 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:44,036 buried in the heart of the wreck, 441 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:46,674 Wayne Lusardi has spotted evidence 442 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:51,669 of the treasures the Queen's Anne Revenge would once have carried. 443 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,872 Hidden in the silt lie small, 444 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:59,037 but tantalising clues. 445 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,792 It was just luck. It was just I was looking in the right 446 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,156 spot at the right time, and something caught my eye. 447 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:12,874 I just picked it up and it was a small gold grain. 448 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,037 I wouldn't even call it a nugget, because these things are just tiny. 449 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,594 And over the course of the next few weeks or so, I found about 450 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:21,274 seventy of them on the bottom. 451 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:34,794 The fact that the gold is so small 452 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,959 has provided Wayne with another piece of the jigsaw. 453 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:42,152 There are several historical accounts that actually place gold-dust, 454 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:46,193 not gold coins, not gold bars, not gold jewellery or anything like that, 455 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,955 but gold dust on board the Concord when she was captured by Blackbeard. 456 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,874 And then we didn't find jewellery or coins or bars, 457 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:55,319 we found gold dust. 458 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:57,914 And so that it's a bit of circumstantial evidence that 459 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,759 supports the identity of the shipwreck, along with all of the 460 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,758 historical accounts that place it in this area and the other 461 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:07,037 artefacts that date the ship to the right time period. 462 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:13,150 When Blackbeard captured the slaveship, Concord, 463 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:16,158 and transformed it in to the Queen Anne's Revenge, 464 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:19,511 he found 20Ibs of gold-dust on board. 465 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,200 A year later, when the ship hit the sand-bar, 466 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:26,871 he would have had plenty of time to remove any gold before abandoning her. 467 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:30,276 The question for the team's geologist, Jim Craig, 468 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,597 is why was any gold left behind? 469 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:40,156 We believe that the gold that was found 470 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,271 probably was unknown to the pirates. 471 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,914 Probably, it was from someone who was on the Corcord 472 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:47,508 before it was captured by Blackbeard. 473 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:50,632 You can imagine that if they have word that the pirates are coming, 474 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:52,392 that you could hide your gold, 475 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:54,988 and probably the gold was hidden up behind a plank 476 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,111 somewhere below decks. 477 00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,760 Then, of course, once the ship had foundered, 478 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:02,553 of course, that gold would have been in some kind of a small pouch, 479 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:04,398 probably a small leather pouch. 480 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:06,198 And then, of course, when thatdeteriorated, 481 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:10,552 that gold would have fallen to the bottom in a relatively small area, 482 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:12,875 where it has been recovered. 483 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,999 Jim Craig is working on ways of testing this theory. 484 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,038 If the gold-dust did belong to the crew of the Concord, 485 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,993 it probably came with them from West Africa. 486 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,117 His analysis shows that this is placer gold, 487 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:34,273 the type found by panning in rivers and streams. 488 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:36,432 We do know it's placer. 489 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:41,031 We do know it had to be placer gold that was accessible before 1718, 490 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:43,429 and it had to be gold, probably somewhere from 491 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,511 the route that they would have travelled. 492 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:47,073 What we're trying to do now, 493 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,038 though, is to examine the potential places, 494 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,714 West Africa, the Caribbean, 495 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:54,432 Northern South America, 496 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:58,593 where gold with the same kind of composition and rim structure 497 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:01,353 have been known to occur. 498 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:06,036 Blackbeard's story lies in the fine details emerging from the wreck. 499 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,116 But the bad visibility means there's a limit 500 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,674 to what can be done under water. 501 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:12,677 With rough weather forecast, 502 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,792 the archaeologists have decided to bring up a large mass 503 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,639 they have found towards the centre of the wreck. 504 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:22,833 The team are convinced there's something entombed within it. 505 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:42,477 They have named the object after a chocolate bar, a Baby Ruth. 506 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:46,479 They won't know what it is until they get it back to the lab. 507 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,353 Early in the morning, the team make the mile long journey 508 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:02,516 back out to the site. 509 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:05,279 It's going to be a tense day. 510 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:09,748 The dive boats have some added muscle. 511 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:14,630 The RV, Dan Moore, is equipped with a five ton lifting hoist. 512 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:16,796 But it's not going to be easy. 513 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:19,559 Unless the lifting straps balance the weight of the mystery 514 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:23,719 object exactly, it could snap in half. 515 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:31,593 The divers hope that two bags pumped full of air will be able to lift 516 00:34:31,720 --> 00:34:34,678 the 1100Ib weight. 517 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:36,997 Nathan, this is topside. 518 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,629 We're standing by up here. How are things going? 519 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:49,351 Topside, Nathan is beginning to fill the bag, over. 520 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:54,715 Okay, roger that. You keep us posted please, Rick. 521 00:34:56,240 --> 00:34:58,435 Dan Moore, this is Sea Hawk. 522 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:00,750 Sea Hawk, this is Dan Moore, over. 523 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:03,554 Just want to let you know the divers are on the bottom. 524 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:05,232 They're hooking up the bags, 525 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:08,591 and it should be a matter of a few minutes here. 526 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:11,240 Okay. Roger that, and we'll be standing by 527 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:13,959 and waiting instructions. Over. 528 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:20,676 Okay, topside, the Baby Ruth is starting to bounce-stand-by. 529 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:22,392 Alright. 530 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,078 Okay, she's up off the bottom, 531 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:28,033 just a little bit, getting ready to go. 532 00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:30,071 Roger that. 533 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:34,629 Okay, topside, they're coming up, they're coming up. 534 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:43,113 Safely at the surface, the divers swim the object 535 00:35:43,240 --> 00:35:45,231 over to the crane. 536 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:50,839 They now get their first glimpse of the underside. 537 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:54,318 Nathan, that looks like a gun under there. 538 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:59,713 Yeah, it's definitely a cylindrical iron object. 539 00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:05,356 Are you guys saying it looks ...Iooking good for 540 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:07,875 a gun like object, over? 541 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,878 It's a sawn off cannon, man. 542 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,116 Sawn off cannon, alright. 543 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:21,069 Topside, we're ready for them to lower down that shackle for us. 544 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:25,239 We also seem to be losing a little air out of one of our bags. 545 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:31,759 We need to get them hooks down here as soon as we can. 546 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:34,714 Okay, the hook is on the way. 547 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:36,998 Nathan's got the hook. 548 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:49,476 Once attached to the hoist, 549 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:53,354 the Baby Ruth begins to swing dangerously. 550 00:36:56,720 --> 00:37:02,272 The object weighs over a 1,000Ibs, and the divers are getting nervous. 551 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:09,109 It's a frustrating moment for Mark, the project's leader. 552 00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:10,832 He's stranded on another boat, 553 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:14,475 desperate to see what's beneath the cluster of stones. 554 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,831 I can't tell what it is. It looks like a Baby Ruth... 555 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:20,115 As the object is swung on to the deck, 556 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:25,035 the team get their first detailed look at the under-side. 557 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:26,189 It's like a cannon. 558 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,748 It's now clear what they've found. 559 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:33,588 Hold on. 560 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:36,114 Alright. 561 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:38,914 Roger, Sea Hawk, when the concretion 562 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:41,952 came out of the water, we could see the underneath side, 563 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:44,469 it's very clearly a gun, much smaller than the ones 564 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:46,716 we've seen or recovered so far, 565 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,030 probably like a 1 Iber, but you could see 566 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:50,758 the trunnions and the outline of the tube, 567 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,877 so we definitely have another cannon up here, over. 568 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:55,439 Hot dog. 569 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,034 If there is a cannon entombed within the lump, 570 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:03,031 it might well be marked with a date. 571 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:07,238 Before they can find out, they need to remove centuries of encrustation. 572 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:10,875 Wayne Lusardi has perfected a unique method. 573 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:14,754 I'm going to take a 3Ib sledge hammer and start beating on it. 574 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:23,600 Starting to get stage fright. 575 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:42,633 It may look like a brutal way of treating a 300 year old object, 576 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:44,751 but hitting it with just the right force 577 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:47,189 sends shockwaves through the concretion, 578 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,835 and bit by bit, pieces sheer off. 579 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:54,873 That's the cannon surface right there. 580 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:35,875 Three hours in to the procedure, and the cannon is beginning to appear. 581 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:39,589 He's also found some identifying marks. 582 00:39:40,240 --> 00:39:44,552 And there's a single line here, maybe an I or a 1 or something like that. 583 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:49,555 And then what looks like a B maybe, or an E, here. 584 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:52,672 And possibly another letter here. 585 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:54,990 A letter round the trunnion 586 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:59,830 often signified the foundry where the gun was cast. 587 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:04,551 The cannon is much smaller than the 18 found so far, 588 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:06,636 which is good news for the team. 589 00:40:06,720 --> 00:40:09,678 Blackbeard would have taken cannon from any ship he sees, 590 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:12,917 and the archaeologists were hoping they'd find many different 591 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:14,592 types on the site. 592 00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:17,314 What they need now, is more cannon, 593 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:19,908 and it looks like the hard work on the underwater 594 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,554 survey may have paid off. 595 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:35,520 The magnetic highs and lows of the whole site have now been mapped out. 596 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:38,148 Individual cannon that are already known to the team 597 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:40,191 show up like bar magnets, 598 00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:42,629 with a high reading in red at one end, 599 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:47,151 and a low at the other end in dark green or blue. 600 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:50,034 But, in one corner of the site, there is a patch of sand 601 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:51,991 which hasn't been excavated. 602 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:54,759 It looks like it might be hiding another cannon. 603 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:56,108 The more they find, 604 00:40:56,200 --> 00:40:58,953 the more likely it is that they can identify the wreck 605 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:01,429 as Blackbeard's flagship. 606 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:02,993 We're really excited about the 607 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:05,992 potential of this gradiometer survey, and I think what we've done out here 608 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:08,588 is something that no-one's really tried before. 609 00:41:08,720 --> 00:41:09,835 And what we want to do today, 610 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:14,636 we're setting up a grid square that will encompass this area right here, 611 00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:17,154 will excavate down, and see if there is a cannon or 612 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:21,239 maybe more than one cannon located in there that will help confirm the 613 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:24,158 results of the gradiometer survey. 614 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:27,029 It's the last day of operations, 615 00:41:27,160 --> 00:41:30,914 and the crew have one final chance to find more cannon. 616 00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:35,272 If the survey is wrong, they leave the site empty handed. 617 00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:38,119 Let's get this baby going. 618 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:40,675 We're in a virgin area that's never been dug, 619 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:42,677 so that's another thing, in uncovering this cannon, 620 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:45,991 we may uncover some other artefacts, which will be exciting. 621 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:49,078 It's always fun to find new things, to me. 622 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:55,631 The bad visibility which has been dogging the team over the past 623 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,752 fortnight refuses to let up. 624 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:04,999 Finding the right area to dredge is proving difficult. 625 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:12,470 Okay. Then we need to go West, young man. 626 00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:28,317 Pump is still running, right? 627 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:34,515 Yes. Okay, we're pumping sand. 628 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,319 That's what I want to hear. 629 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:42,153 I think we lost our vis. 630 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:49,312 Curious about the letters on the cannon, Wayne refers to a book, 631 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:52,000 which has the information he needs. 632 00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:56,910 These two trunnions illustrated in the book here have the initials IEC on them, 633 00:42:57,040 --> 00:43:00,112 and this is identical to the trunnion that we exposed 634 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:03,351 on the small cannon from the Baby Ruth concretion. 635 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:07,917 IEC stands for a man by the name of Yaspur Erin Croytz, 636 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:11,197 who was the founder of a cannon works in Sweden, 637 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:15,757 in 1689, which operated to 1750. 638 00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:18,718 The two guns here that are illustrated, both have date marks, 639 00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:21,912 and it's - It's a very strong possibility 640 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:25,675 that date occurs on the opposite trunnion. 641 00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:33,158 20 feet down, 642 00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:36,829 the divers have found what they were hoping for. 643 00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:42,635 Despite the appalling visibility, 644 00:43:42,760 --> 00:43:47,629 they can feel the unmistakable shape of another cannon. 645 00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:22,515 With each new cannon discovered, 646 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:25,313 the team are getting closer to matching the 40 cannon that 647 00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:29,558 Blackbeard was supposed to have had on board the Queen Anne's Revenge. 648 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:31,113 Delighted with the results, 649 00:44:31,240 --> 00:44:34,676 the divers returned to the conservation lab. 650 00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:44,109 Wayne has spent the whole day cleaning up Baby Ruth, 651 00:44:44,240 --> 00:44:47,073 and he has a surprise for them. 652 00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:53,149 Hidden under the stones is another small cannon. 653 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:59,556 we didn't even know there was a cannon there until we saw it come up, 654 00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:01,949 and saw the underneath side of it, 655 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:05,555 and just assumed everything else on there was ballast stone. 656 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:08,515 It is looking good. 657 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:10,278 That's too cool, yeah. 658 00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:13,472 We do have our 21 gun salute already. 659 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:36,678 After 10 long hours, 660 00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:38,392 Wayne has finally uncovered the one 661 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:40,436 area of the cannon that could be 662 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:42,590 marked with a date. 663 00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:45,069 And it's marked. 664 00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:52,515 What appears to be a 7, a 1 and a 3.1713. 665 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:55,677 And that's very good news. It fits within its foundry mark. 666 00:45:55,760 --> 00:46:00,914 It doesn't post-date our wreck. So there's nothing bad about that. 667 00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:04,470 Just heard 1713,which is - which is very good. 668 00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:06,477 We have the bell at 1709, 669 00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:10,878 but this puts it in a little bit closer to the 1718 date. 670 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:13,594 We didn't expect it to be any later, of course, 671 00:46:13,720 --> 00:46:16,757 and, of course, if it had been, that would have been bad. 672 00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:19,035 But everything, not just the cannon, 673 00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:21,680 just not the-that date, but all the artefacts 674 00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:23,028 seem to date to the right period. 675 00:46:23,120 --> 00:46:25,588 When you look at the makers marks on the pewter the cannons, 676 00:46:25,720 --> 00:46:29,269 it's people that are making artefacts from that time period. 677 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:31,715 So we just 678 00:46:31,800 --> 00:46:35,110 - It's got to be Queen Anne's Revenge. 679 00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:40,678 The archaeologists are now convinced they've finally 680 00:46:40,800 --> 00:46:44,713 identified the shipwreck as the Queen Anne's Revenge. 681 00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:48,719 But Blackbeard's own story doesn't end here. 682 00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:50,319 After he lost his ship, 683 00:46:50,440 --> 00:46:53,398 Blackbeard sailed away with his remaining crew. 684 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:56,193 By the beginning of winter they sought shelter on the island 685 00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:58,589 of Ocracoke. 686 00:47:00,240 --> 00:47:03,038 On November 21 st,1718, 687 00:47:03,120 --> 00:47:06,317 they came ashore at Springer's Point. 688 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:09,948 Amongst these gnarled oak trees, 689 00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:12,190 legend has it that they met with other pirates 690 00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:14,515 and drank the night away. 691 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:19,913 Nobody saw the two Royal Navy boats laying in ambush around the point. 692 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:22,355 As dawn broke the following morning, 693 00:47:22,440 --> 00:47:26,069 the Navy moved in to attack. 694 00:47:27,680 --> 00:47:30,319 Declaring that he would never surrender, Blackbeard launched 695 00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:33,836 in to the fray and fought like a devil. 696 00:47:36,760 --> 00:47:40,719 He was shot five times and suffered 20 cuts. 697 00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:47,354 The final cut sliced off his head. 698 00:47:56,680 --> 00:48:02,869 With his death, the golden age of piracy passed in to legend. 699 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:10,350 Just as the archaeologists have begun to open this small window 700 00:48:10,440 --> 00:48:13,830 on to Blackbeard's life and times, 701 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:18,670 it seems the sea wants to reclaim its notorious son. 702 00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:23,392 Two days after the team left the area, 703 00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:25,550 the fourth hurricane of the season 704 00:48:25,680 --> 00:48:29,878 raged over the site of the Queen Anne's Revenge.