Archaeologists have gone back to work recovering artifacts from Queen Anne's Revenge, the flagship of the notorious pirate Blackbeard that was sunk off the east coast of America in 1718.

Among the next targets is the ship's anchor, which weighs 3,000 pounds and measures 13 feet long and 16 feet wide. Researchers, working sporadically in the 14 years since the discovery of the wreck, have already recovered many artifacts from the sunken ship, including a hilt of a sword thought to belong to Blackbeard himself.

Edward Teach (or Edward Thatch) was thought to have been the famed pirate known as Blackbeard, so named for his flowing black hair and large black beard. In his life as a pirate, Edward Teach captured more than 50 ships and untold amounts of wealth. He is said to have buried a mound of treasure at an undisclosed location.

The shipwreck and find have gained renewed interest in recent weeks, in response to the release of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, in which Blackbeard features as a main character.