The wreck remains indicate a large, heavily-armed vessel. Historical research has revealed that the Queen Anne's Revenge was originally a French-owned slaver, La Concorde . Finding La Concorde's bell would be definitive. So far, the artifacts all fit in the pre-1718 date. Extensive archaeological excavation and research should compile enough evidence to rule out any other possibility.
Excavation is done in ten-foot square units by divers in full scuba gear.
In some squares several feet of sand have been removed using hand fanning, a dredge, and an air lift. Artifacts and features are photographed, plotted on a map, drawn, and then recorded by elevations. The whole excavation is being extensively videotaped. It is a cooperative effort by the state of North Carolina with Intersal, Inc., and Maritime Research Institute, the private corporations that discovered the wreck. The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources' Division of Archives and History is responsible for the excavation and preservation of the wreck through its agencies, the Underwater Archaeology Unit and the Maritime Museum.