Scientists solve the mystery of the ship of the legendary Blackbeard the pirate

The legendary pirate known as Blackbeard left a huge mark on history with his impressive lifestyle and by leaving a mystery about his ship. Scientists have been studying this mystery and found an interesting aspect that can solve this puzzle.

IFL.science writes about it.

It turned out that archaeologists found many pieces of coal next to the wreck of the Queen Anne's Revenge, which sank in 1718. This would indicate its presence on the ship, but coal has not been mined in North America at that time, so it was not a necessary resource for ships.

The researchers noted that the shipwreck occurred in 1718, but coal mining in North America had not begun until the 1870s when steam engines that used coal as fuel were introduced. In other words, coal was an anachronism at the time, a resource that was not needed.

Later research indicated that the coal found during archaeological excavations studied after 1996 dates back to a much later period than the life of the Blackbeard pirate. Scientists suggested that this could have been an accident.

Read also: Archaeologists discover a huge sword and bronze mirror in a 4th-century Japanese burial site

It is worth noting that the wreckage of a ship carrying coal was discovered near Fort Macon during the US Civil War. After the fort was captured by Union troops in 1862, the area became a key coal trading post. Many ships came here to receive coal, and some of them may have dumped some of their cargo into the sea. As a result of tidal currents and natural disasters, wreckage may be scattered near the site where the Queen Anne's Revenge sank.

Thus, the analysis showed that the discovered pieces of coal were the result of an accidental event related to the events of the Civil War and the coal trade in the United States.

As a reminder, the remains of a 1,600-year-old settlement with an artesian well were discovered in Mexico.

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