![]() “It is our belief that warmer temperatures caused by climate change is leading to situations where there’s less seasonal ice cover, and the periods in the summer where there is no overlying ice to protect the side of the HMS Erebus is likely exposing it to more weather influence than in the past,” Harris said. The archeologists also noticed the deteriorating effects of climate change on the condition of the sites and have observed artifacts being moved around the ship, likely by storms. When we come across the evidence, it’s an indication that certain materials were prized in particular,” he said. “Our hope is that in the fullness of time, we’ll be able to better understand these patterns of presence and absence of certain types of artifacts. Those may not have been as useful for Inuit at the time, Harris surmised. Just as interesting as the recovered artifacts are the ones that have not been found.įor example, the divers didn’t find much in the way of cutlery, like knives, but they discovered an “endless” collection of teams of ceramic earthenware, stacks of “beautifully patterned plates and serving dishes and platters.” Historical records indicate Inuit did board the ships after they were abandoned and harvested tools and materials that could be useful, Harris said. ![]() It also led to many interactions with the Inuit, a seminal period in modern history, he said. “The disappearance of the Franklin Expedition mesmerized the Victorian world and led to a succession of desperate searches that, in the process, managed to chart much of what is now the Canadian Arctic archipelago,” Harris said. The wrecks themselves are the first collaboratively managed national historic sites in Nunavut, and there may be a chance to view some of the artifacts up close when Gjoa Haven completes the expansion on its community heritage centre. The corrective eye lens with a prescription could tell researchers something very personal about the person who occupied the cabin, Harris said. It allows us to detect and excavate remarkably delicate materials,” he said. “What is enticing about these cabins is that materials are very well protected in the drawers below the beds to keep them safe. Harris said swimming through the submerged halls of a 19th century Royal Navy ship was one of the most “remarkable things” he’s ever done. They also completed an excavation of part of the captain’s steward’s pantry, potentially finding new insights into the personal lives of the crew onboard. This summer, Harris and his team excavated the cabin of the second lieutenant on HMS Erebus and what is believed to be the third lieutenant’s cabin. In 2019, more than 350 artifacts were retrieved from the former, offering historians a never-before-seen glimpse into what may have happened on that doomed expedition. HMS Erebus was discovered in 2014 and HMS Terror in 2016. HMS Erebus, along with HMS Terror, set sail from England on May 19, 1845, in search of the Northwest Passage with Franklin and 128 crew on board.īut they became stranded in thick, year-round sea ice northwest of King William Island near what is now Gjoa Haven. They uncovered some “tantalizing” artifacts that offer a glimpse into the lives of the crew onboard, said senior underwater archeologist Ryan Harris. Working with local Inuit Guardians who help manage and protect the sites, Parks Canada archeologists completed 56 dives over 11 days. These are some of the more than 275 artifacts that underwater archeologists recovered in September from their latest diving expedition to the wreck of HMS Erebus, one of two sunken ships from the historic, ill-fated 1845 expedition led by Sir John Franklin. A peculiar fossilized rock, possibly a keepsake from worldly travels. A leather portfolio with a quill still pressed inside. A corrective lens from a pair of eyeglasses.
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