Wikipedia editor Patar knight has volunteered his time to document Terror‘s history on Wikipedia. If so, it was possibly preserved by the cold water in a way similar to the Swedish warship Vasa, which we wrote about a few weeks ago. Last month, Terror was rediscovered the wreck is reportedly sitting on the seafloor in “excellent” condition. A year and a half (and two winters) later, the remaining members of the expedition left King William’s Island and eventually perished. Unfortunately for the crew, however, the ships were never able to break free of the ice. In itself, this was not a problem, as their ships had been refitted with iron sides. According to documents found years later, the expedition wintered on Beechey Island and continued onward in the following year before being trapped in pack ice off King William’s Island in September 1846. The vessels, crewed by 129 men, were led by Captain John Franklin, an experienced Arctic explorer.įranklin’s expedition left Britain in 1845 and were last sighted in July by a British ship near Baffin Bay, located between what is today far northern Canada and Greenland. They explored what they think is the second lieutenant’s cabin for the first time, continued their excavation of what they think is the third lieutenant’s cabin, and finished excavating part of the steward’s pantry.In 1845, two warships in Britain’s Royal Navy- Erebus and Terror-were sent to explore the possibility of a navigable sea route around the northern end of Canada. During that mission, archaeologists were able to spend up to two hours at a time below the surface, thanks to diving suits heated with warm water. David Tompson and a support barge named Qiniqtirjuaq. They returned in September with a scientific research ship called the R.V. They established an ice camp above the shipwreck, physically inspected the vessel, and collected new survey and imagery data using a remotely operated vehicle called Deep Trekker. The Terror is situated deeper in the water and appears to be more secure, per the CBC.Īfter missing two archaeological seasons because of the pandemic, crews returned to the site of the Erebus in April and May. Since finding the long-lost vessels, archaeologists have focused much of their attention on the Erebus, which they’ve deemed to be the more vulnerable of the two ships. Inuit Guardians and Parks Canada archaeology team members posing for a photo at the end of the April/May exploration of the H.M.S. Parks Canada is working closely with the Inuit Guardians of the Nattilik Heritage Society, which aims to preserve the culture and history of the Inuit. Researchers are now studying and preserving the artifacts, which are jointly owned by the Inuit Heritage Trust and the Canadian government, at Parks Canada’s lab in Ottawa. Erebus Marc-André Bernier / Parks Canadaĭuring 56 dives over 11 days, Parks Canada archaeologists hauled up an embossed leather folio, an eyeglass lens, a lieutenant’s epaulets, plates, serving dishes, platters, drafting tools and dozens of other items, reports Bob Weber of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). They brought 275 artifacts from the Erebus to the surface in 2022, Parks Canada announced last month.Ī Parks Canada archaeologist examining the wreck of the H.M.S. While the Covid-19 pandemic initially delayed their exploration of the vessels, archaeologists are now back in action in the Canadian Arctic. They located the wreck of the other ship, the H.M.S. Erebus, in the icy waters near King Williams Island in Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost territory. Then, in 2014, Canadian archaeologists discovered the remains of one of the vessels, the H.M.S. ![]() At some point during their treacherous quest, Franklin and his crew of 128 men mysteriously disappeared, never to be heard from again. In May 1845, two ships under the command of Sir John Franklin set sail from England in search of the elusive Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |