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![]() He identified several types of lead sheathing that had been used on the QAR. (Image credit: Image courtesy of North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources) Lead sheathing with distinct flanges cut into the outer edges. Since 1524, shipbuilders had used lead sheathing to protect wooden hulls, and Borrelli compared the lead pieces found at the shipwreck to similar objects from other archaeological sites, most of which represent ships that sank during the 16th and 17th centuries. Bacterial film, barnacle accumulation and wood-eating parasites weakened hull structures and could lead to significant damage, Borrelli wrote in the study. Ocean travel was not kind to wooden ships such as the QAR. His results hinted at how damaged the ship was when Blackbeard abandoned it. They long suspected sailors used lead to patch the boat's hull, but the fragments had not been formally studied, said Jeremy Borrelli, a staff archaeologist for the Program in Maritime Studies at East Carolina University, in North Carolina.īorrelli recently analyzed these lead objects for the first time, publishing his results June 30 in The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. ![]() ![]() Since the shipwreck was discovered in 1996 (and officially identified as the QAR in 2011), archaeologists have found lead artifacts at the site. Some accounts describe the ship as carrying 22 cannons, while others say up to 40 cannons were onboard, according to the Queen Anne's Revenge Project, a research endeavor by historians, archaeologists and conservators to preserve and recover the sunken pirate ship. The QAR was an important part of Blackbeard's intimidating persona. "He cultivated his image to strike fear into the hearts of other sailors, wrapping slow-burning lighted coils in his long, black hair and beard." "In battle, Blackbeard was a savage opponent with a reputation for inhuman strength," NPS says.
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