MOREHEAD CITY, North Carolina (4 Apr 2004) -- A picture could be worth a thousand words to state underwater archaeologists working with the remains of what they believe is the sunken flagship of the pirate Blackbeard. This week, scuba divers with the Queen Anne's Revenge Shipwreck Project will double as shutterbugs in an attempt to document the wreckage in a photo mosaic. "What we're trying to get here is a good, accurate overall image of the site," said Chris Southerly, project archaeologist. There has never been a good, comprehensive image of the site made, though the QAR project did do some still-frame work from a video shot in 1997, Southerly said. Archaeologists will be able to compare the photo mosaic not only with that video, but also with drawings and any future photographs taken, to see what geological changes are occurring over the years from storms and currents, Southerly said. Additionally, the photo session is being funded by National Geographic and could result in a magazine article. "The goal is for us to get the documentation of the site done and for National Geographic to document our process," he said. Another value of the photo mosaic, Southerly said, is that archaeologists may be able to determine exactly where the ship would be if it were intact, which could lead to the creation of an interpretive poster of the shipwreck site. | | Blackbeard's flagship Queen Anne's Revenge ran aground in Beaufort Inlet in 1718. All that remains from the vessel are hull fragments, cannons and other artifacts covered with sand. Retrieval of artifacts is not planned, Southerly said. "Unless something is extremely exposed and endangered, we will not be recovering anything and even then we wouldn't be doing it next week," he said. One of the challenges archaeologists will face is limited visibility in waters near Beaufort Inlet, Southerly said. Divers will have to shoot on the high tide into the falling tide before the more silted waters flow out from the inlet, he said. The project was scheduled for last fall, but was cancelled due to Hurricane Isabel. Archaeologists, assisted by students in East Carolina University's Maritime Studies and Cultural Resources Management programs, plan to set up equipment Monday and Tuesday. Shooting will begin Wednesday. SOURCE - Daily News |
