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Archaeologists will return today to the site of what they believe is the Queen Anne's Revenge, the flagship of Blackbeard the pirate.

The dive will last 12 weeks, making it the longest and most extensive since divers discovered the shipwreck off the North Carolina coast in 1996.

"The big news is that we are going have such a lengthy and sustained effort," said Jeffrey Crow, deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. "In the past, we have pieced together funding and tried to get free services from other agencies. ... Now we have the support of the General Assembly."

The legislature has appropriated $150,000 this fiscal year for the recovery effort.

Over the past decade, a lack of funding and a conservation lab have slowed the excavation process. Now both are in place.

To date, archaeologists think they have recovered only about 20 percent of the ship's artifacts. Over the next three months, they hope to bring up another 30 percent, including another cannon, one of 25 found at the site in Beaufort Inlet.

"This time we have the opportunity to see and (recover) more than we have collectively over the past 10 years," said Mark Wilde-Ramsing, the Queen Anne's Revenge project director.

"It's an archaeologist's dream to move forward with all the tools and personnel that you need."

Divers hope to find evidence that will conclusively link the shipwreck to the most fearsome and famous of pirates. Divers will move about 10,000 cubic feet of sand from around the stern of the ship, where the captain had his cabin and the officers had their quarters.

That area has already produced thousands of lead shot, pewter plates, wine bottles and flecks of gold.

In coming days, weather permitting, divers could bring up an additional 100,000 artifacts. The largest of those will be the cannon, which is encrusted with pewter plates, gold dust and other treasures.

Objects recovered will be taken to a conservation lab at East Carolina University.

The wreck site lies in 22 feet of water just 1.5 miles from Fort Macon State Park, which provides tourists a good view of the recovery boats anchored above the wreck site.

"People can look not too far offshore and see our guys out there working on QAR," said Steve Claggett, state archaeologist. "It always surprises people: 'Gosh, it is right there.'"

The Queen Anne's Revenge ran aground in 1718.

Contact Donald W. Patterson at 373-7037 or donpatterson@news-record.com