Sun King Pistol
The value of radiographic imaging in determining what was inside of a concretion became apparent almost immediately.
This concretion was found to house a pistol, a favored weapon with pirates.
Photo © Canon Medical Systems
Using cutting-edge digital x-ray technology, Clifford and the Expedition Whydah team were able to produce high quality images of the treasures locked inside of concretions. Working with Canon Medical Systems, they were able to develop x-ray units which could be brought to the concretion laboratories as a "mobile x-ray lab" or as portable devices which were used on the recovery ship as the artifacts were pulled from the water.
The team also used other forms of technology to determine what was inside of a concretion. The shape was often a giveaway as to what may lay inside, such as a pistol or coin. A small camera called a lipstick camera was used to look inside of a cannon before it underwent the conservation process.
Tea Kettle Conservation
A tea kettle, in the final stages of conservation, sits in a chemical bath. Conservationists will later us brushes and small picks to clear away the final debris.
This tea kettle has a special fitting on the bottom to allow it to sit in the stove so that it wouldn't be tipped over while at sea.
Photo by Matthew Prefontaine © Arts and Exhibitions International
The discovery of the Whydah is the first verified pirate shipwreck ever found. Clifford has kept The Whydah Collection intact. In an interview for the Yankee magazine, Clifford stated, "I don't think I'm a treasure hunter. A treasure hunter sells treasure. All of the artifacts that we've excavated and conserved are meant for public display. We have one of the largest exhibits that National Geographic has ever put together." An estimated 200,000 artifacts have been archaeologically recovered from The Whydah Galley.
~~ Piracy Today ~~
