Archaeologists plan to dive on Blackbeard's ship Queen Anne's Revenge and recover eight cannons

BLACKBEARD'S pirate ship is about to be plundered, with a team of archaeologists aiming to recover a set of eight cannons in coming weeks.

pound anchor

BLACKBEARD'S pirate ship is about to be plundered, with a team of archaeologists aiming to recover a set of eight cannons in the next few weeks.

The wreck of Blackbeard's ship, the 300 ton frigate Queen Anne's Revenge, was found off the coast of Beufort Inlet, North Carolina, in 1996.

The pirate ship sank in June 1718 after it was deliberately beached.

More than half of the wreck site has been excavated in an attempt to learn more about the mysterious Blackbeard and his crew.

His real name, believed to be Edward Teach or Thatch, was probably a privateer who turned to piracy during Queen Anne's War of 1701 to 1714.

Archaeologists hope to have completed their excavations by the end of next year.

Many objects have already been recovered from the wreck site, including one other cannon in 2011.

The ship is believed to have carried a total of 40 cannons.

Recovered artefacts include an anchor, weapons, slave shackles, weights, plates, kettles and ships fittings.

Many of the objects are covered in concrete-like accretions of barnacles and sand and will require years of restoration work.

An anchor from what is believed to be the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, is recovered from the ocean. (AP Photo/The News & Observer, Robert Willett)