Anchor from Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge recovered

The huge anchor from what's believed to be the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge has been raised from the ocean floor off the North Carolina coast. Archaeologists believe the anchor recovered Friday is from the famous flagship of Blackbeard. The vessel sank in 1718 just a few months before Blackbeard was killed in battle.

The artifact is the third-largest item at the shipwreck, outsized only by two other anchors. Researchers retrieved the anchor from the shipwreck about 20 feet under water and were bringing it to shore. The work to retrieve it began last week. The anchor is about 11 feet long.

The recovery coincides with the release this month of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." The movie features both Blackbeard and the Queen Anne's Revenge as major players.