Intersal Inc., a private research firm, discovered the wreck believed to be ''Queen Anne's Revenge'' on 21 November 1996. It was located by Intersal's director of operations, Mike Daniel, who used historical research provided by the company's president, Phil Masters and maritime archaeologist David Moore. The shipwreck lies in 28 feet (8.5 m) of water about one mile (1.6 km) offshore of
Fort Macon State Park (34°41′44″N 76°41′20″W),
Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. On 3 March 1997,
Jim Hunt, the governor of North Carolina, held a press conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. He stated: "The state of North Carolina is working to protect the site and will do everything we can to that end. We look forward to the day when all North Carolinians can see these exciting artifacts for themselves." Thirty cannons have been identified to date and more than 300,000 artifacts have been recovered. The cannons are of different origins including Sweden and England, and of different sizes as would be expected with a colonial pirate crew. For one week in 2000 and 2001, live
underwater video of the project was
webcast to the
Internet as a part of the
QAR DiveLive educational program that reached thousands of children around the world. Created and co-produced by
Nautilus Productions and Marine Grafics, this project enabled students to talk to scientists and learn about methods and technologies utilized by the
underwater archaeology team. In November 2006 and 2007, more artifacts were discovered at the site and brought to the surface. The additional artifacts appear to support the claim that the wreck is that of ''Queen Anne's Revenge
. Among evidence to support this theory is that the cannons were found loaded. In addition, there were more cannons than would be expected for a ship of this size, and the cannons were of different makes. Depth markings on the part of the stern that was recovered point to it having been made according to the French foot measurements. Markings found on a cannon and a bronze bell are engraved with dates prior to 1718, further supporting that the wreck is Queen Anne's Revenge''. By the end of 2007, approximately one third of the wreck was fully excavated. Part of the hull of the ship, including much of the
keel and part of the
stern post, has survived. The stern post was recovered in November 2007. The NCDNCR set up the website ''Queen Anne's Revenge'' to build on intense public interest in the finds. Artifacts recovered in 2008 include loose ceramic and
pewter fragments, lead strainer fragments, a nesting weight, cannon apron, ballast stones, a
sword guard and a coin. Goals during the 2010 field season included staging of one of the ship's largest main deck cannons to the large artifact holding area on site, taking corrosion readings from anchors and cannons undergoing
in situ corrosion treatment, attaching aluminum-alloy
anodes to the remaining anchors and cannons so as to begin their
in situ corrosion treatment and continuing site excavations. In 2011, the anchor from the ship was brought to the surface, along with a range of makeshift weaponry including langrage or
canister shot. On 29 August 2011, the
National Geographic Society reported that the State of North Carolina had confirmed the shipwreck as ''Queen Anne's Revenge'', reversing a conclusion previously maintained because of a lack of conclusive evidence. Specific artifacts that support this conclusion include a brass coin weight bearing the bust of Queen Anne of Great Britain, cast during her reign (1702–1714); the stem of a wine glass decorated with diamonds and tiny embossed crowns, made to commemorate the 1714 coronation of Queen Anne's successor,
King George I; the remains of a French hunting sword featuring a bust that closely resembles King
Louis XV, who claimed the French throne in 1715; and a urethral syringe for treating
venereal diseases with a control mark indicating manufacture between 1707 and 1715 in Paris, France. On 21 June 2013, the National Geographic Society reported recovery of two cannons from ''Queen Anne's Revenge''. Several months later, on 28 October, archaeologists recovered five more cannons from the wreck. The 23rd of 30 cannons identified at the wreck site was recovered on 24 October 2014. The gun is approximately long, weighs over and may be a sister to a Swedish gun that was previously recovered. Nine cannonballs, bar shot halves, an iron bolt and a
grenado were also recovered during the 2014 field season. In January 2018, sixteen fragments of paper were identified after being recovered from sludge inside a cannon. The scraps were from a copy of the book ''
A Voyage to the South Sea, and Round the World, Perform'd in the Years 1708, 1709, 1710 and 1711'' by Captain Edward Cooke, in which Cooke travels under
Woodes Rogers; it is likely the pages were torn from the book and used as
wadding in that cannon. A portion of the objects and artifacts found at the shipwreck have been given on long-term loan to the
Smithsonian and are on display in the
National Museum of American History. Additionally, some artifacts have been loaned to the
Musée national de la Marine in Paris. In total, 24 of 30 known cannons have been excavated. Of these, six cast-iron cannons bear founder's marks or
proof marks indicative of a specific nation of origin. One -pounder carries an English proof mark, a 4-pounder carries an English proof mark and the founder's mark for Major John Fuller (1652–1722) of the Heathfield Furnace in
East Sussex, and four 1-pounders carry founder's markings for Jesper Eliaeson Ehrencreutz at works in
Södermanland, Sweden. Two of the Ehrendal cannons also carry legible date marks for 1713. Although there are thirty known cannons from the wreck, it is estimated that Blackbeard added around forty cannons, all in varying sizes. ==Ownership and legal controversies==