Hilt of 18th-century pirate Blackbeard's sword may have been found

Washington, Jan 16 (ANI): Archaeologists who have been excavating the sunken Queen Anne's Revenge for more than ten years discovered a gilded sword hilt that may have belonged to Blackbeard, the infamous pirate of the 18th century.

National Geographic published photos released by the team, which has been searching the sunken ship off the coast of North Carolina since 1997.

According to Time, the sword hilt was found in pieces, but reassembled for the picture released by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.

The fragments of the hilt and pommel are ornamental and possibly of French design, reports AOL News.

The department does not directly claim that the hilt belonged to Blackbeard, but speculates the hilt may have been discarded after the shipwreck.

"In any event, the pirates would have had ample opportunity to take anything that they thought valuable," said David Moore of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. (ANI)