Interesting find on the shipwreck of the famous pirate Blackbeard

During archaeological work on the wreck of a vessel that once sailed as the flagship of the famous pirate Blackbeard, a very interesting find was made. The archaeologists working at the site managed to find a set of interesting medical instruments from that period. The excavated instruments show that Captain Blackbeard attached great importance to keeping his crew in good health.

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Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, is considered to be one of the most famous pirates in the history of the trade. Together with his crew and the legendary ship “Queens Anne’s Revenge” he plundered and pillaged ships sailing to and from the “new world” in the early 18th century.

The wreck of the “Queens Anne’s Revenge” was found in 1996 and has since been explored by successive teams of archaeologists. During this time many interesting discoveries have been made in and around the wreck. The latest are the tools of a medic, who took care of the health of the pirate crew. This is a very valuable clue, showing how much attention to the health of his subordinates the captain paid.

“At the time, treating and operating on sick and injured crew members was quite a challenge. Among the ailments the ship’s medic had to deal with were various diseases, wounds sustained during the voyage or combat, amputations, dental disease, burns and many other ailments.” – explains Linda Carnes-McNaughton, an archaeologist working on the Queens Anne’s Revenge wreck.

The emphasis Blackbeard placed on the health aspect is shown by the fact that, after the capture of the ship “Queens Anne’s Revenge”, he released the entire French crew… except for three surgeons, some carpentry specialists and a cook.

Some of the medical instruments found by archaeologists bear marks indicating that they were manufactured in France. This undoubtedly indicates that the pirates came into possession of it, with the detention of three French medics on board.

These include instruments such as a brass mortar for preparing medicines, jars for storing medicines, measuring cups for measuring ingredients, silver needles for suturing wounds, scissors, syringes for treating a common maritime ailment like syphilis, and pumps for performing enemas.

Source: livescience.com Photo: North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources