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Wednesday, 25th February 2009 (4658 views)

Gold coins and ingots from a pirate shipwreck have been placed on display as part of a new exhibition at the Field Museum in Chicago.

The travelling exhibit organised by National Geographic and Arts and Exhibitions International is focused on the pirate ship Whydah, which was wrecked in a storm off Cape Cod on April 26th 1717 and sank carrying a cargo of stolen treasure.

Entitled Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship, the show will run at the Field Museum from February 25th to October 25th 2009 and features over 200 artefacts, including a number of gold items captured in raids along Caribbean trade routes and the Atlantic coastline.

The Whydah was the first fully authenticated pirate ship to be found in US waters and is believed to have been one of the most technologically advanced vessels of its time, captained by legendary pirate Sam Bellamy.

Underwater explorer Barry Clifford and his team located the vessel and have been recovering the treasure from the seabed.

The Field Museum is also exhibiting gold jewellery unearthed from ancient tombs in its Masterpieces of Ancient Jewellery: Exquisite Objects from the Cradle of Civilisation show.

 

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