Pirates

Current Archaeology’s March Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home

There are lots of great ways to get involved in archaeology, history, and heritage this spring, with upcoming exhibitions, conferences, lectures, and more. If you would prefer to get your history fix from the comfort of your home, there is plenty on offer, too, from digitised museum collections and virtual site tours to new podcasts and documentaries. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the latest options.

Pirates: Explore beneath the surface

A new exhibition running at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth takes a deep dive into how perceptions of piracy have evolved since the 17th century, and the reality behind romanticised accounts of their activities. Carly Hilts visited to find out more.

Below Henry Every, privateer turned pirate, who captured the richest prize of all: a treasure ship belonging to the Great Mughal of Delhi.

Fighting the pirates: the dark side of privateering

Pirates or privateers? The buccaneers who haunted the high seas in the 17th and 18th centuries sailed a fine line between fighting Britain’s enemies and profiting themselves. Tim Newark looks at the careers of two notorious figures, and reveals the criminal complexity behind their actions.