ATLANTIC BEACH (10 Nov 2006) -- Little things turned out to be some of the biggest finds this fall from a shipwreck thought to be the Queen Anne's Revenge. And though archaeologists packed up their gear Wednesday and ended a five-week diving expedition at the site, they still have sand from some of the excavation units to sift through. "There may be some interesting things that show up in there," said Richard Lawrence, head of the state Underwater Archaeology Unit. That's how they found the small brass rooster finial, the apothecary weight and gold dust earlier in the expedition, said Chris Southerly, project archaeologist and field director. After using a sluice to separate heavier objects, archaeologists then pan the sand, Southerly explained. Archaeologists also hope to discover the contents of some of the unidentifiable concretions they recovered as they more closely examine and x-ray them in the lab. "Some of the stuff is obvious," Southerly said. There are cast hoops, fasteners, lead shot and lead sheets, he said. The divers also found a pewter plate similar to ones discovered in past dives. The diving expedition was scheduled to end Friday, but divers wrapped up a couple of days early because of weather and sea conditions this week, Southerly said. | | Queen Anne's Revenge The Department of Cultural Resources is planning a media day on Nov. 17 in Beaufort, said department spokesman Fay Mitchell Henderson. Archaeologists will discuss the recent expedition and show some of the artifacts, Henderson said. The department will also announce its plans for celebrating the 10th anniversary of the discovery of the shipwreck, Henderson said. The site was found Nov. 21, 1996 by Florida-based research firm Intersal, but was not announced to the public until March 3, 1997. SOURCE - Daily News |
