Archaeologists have formally confirmed that the ship being excavated off of the coast of North Carolina is Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge. The Queen Anne’s Revenge was grounded and ultimately sunk in 1718 when Blackbeard (aka Edward Teach) left Charleston harbor, refusing a pardon offered by the Governor.

The wreck was rediscovered in 1996 and subsequently excavated starting in 2001 by the Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck Project. To read more about the wreck and the confirmation that this was indeed Blackbeard’s flagship, read this article in the Sacramento Bee.