Divers reveal Blackbeard treasures

ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C. – Archeologists working on an underwater pirate shipwreck off the North Carolina coast revealed some exciting finds in a ship thought to be that of the pirate Blackbeard.
Divers have been searching through what they believe is the Queen Anne's Revenge since August. Tuesday, researchers unveiled artifacts like a cannon ball, pewter plates and a dagger hilt.
"Artifacts provide us with a tangible link to life in North Carolina when essentially North Carolina was a frontier," Richard Lawrence, of the North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Department, said.
Divers even discovered their first coin.
"We're all excited to see what kind of coin it is," Lawrence said. "Is it a French coin, a Spanish coin, an English coin?"
The crew also revealed a 2005 find headed to the Maritime Museum in Beaufort -- a part of a toilet.
“Even pirates would have needed a toilet," Dr. Jeff Crow, of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, said.
He said the artifacts will be a big draw.
“Children really love piracy, and adults are intrigued by it, so it brings people to the coast to see these artifacts," Crow said.
The crew still has two weeks to go before they complete this year's dive. The artifacts will be on display Wednesday at the Maritime Museum in Beaufort from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.