AssetID: 53411679
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Canadian Archaeologists Enjoy Fruitful Expeditions On Famed HMS erebus And Terror Wrecks
Caption: Archaeologists in Canada have been racing to explore two wrecks that have gone into naval folklore. Parks Canada’s archaeological exploration at the Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site in Nunavut consisted of 68 dives over a 12 day period, mainly exploring the Erebus wreck. Artifacts meticulously excavated from the site aimed to provide more insights into the 1845 Franklin Expedition, encompassing naval technology, scientific endeavors, and daily life on the vessel. The research is urgent due to increasingly severe storms battering the Erebus wreck due to climate change. The discoveries, including pistols, sealed medicine bottles, seamen's chests, and navigation equipment, are crucial in unraveling the mysteries surrounding the doomed Arctic expedition led by Sir John Franklin 180 years ago. Ron Hallman, President and CEO, Parks Canada says: “This was another successful research season for the Parks Canada Underwater Archaeology Team. Retrieving artifacts from the wrecks and taking high-quality imagery provides insight for the entire world as to what life was like for the crews aboard these ships during this expedition.” In an officer's cabin, believed to belong to Second Lieutenant Henry Dundas Le Vesconte, Parks Canada underwater archaeologists uncovered items related to navigation, science, and leisure. Among the findings were a parallel rule, an intact thermometer, a leather book cover, and a fishing rod with a brass reel. The Captain's Steward's pantry yielded items such as a leather shoe or boot bottom, storage jars, and a sealed pharmaceutical bottle. Excavation in Third Lieutenant James Fairholme's cabin revealed a collection of unidentified fossils, complementing those discovered in the previous season. Exploring the forecastle area, where most of the crew resided, the team excavated a seamen's chest containing various artifacts like pistols, military items, footwear, medicinal bottles, and coins. Recovered items are set to undergo study and conservation treatment in Ottawa before being displayed at the Nattilik Heritage Centre in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. In addition to physical artifacts, the archaeologists captured thousands of high-resolution digital photos for creating precise three-dimensional models, aiding in understanding the site's evolving conditions. Research activities at the HMS Erebus site concluded on September 18, with the team returning to Gjoa Haven on September 20 aboard the Research Vessel David Thompson and the Qiniqtiryuaq (excavation support barge). A brief visit to the wreck of HMS Terror followed, allowing the team to conduct remote sensing recording to assess its condition and expand the mapping of a vessel access corridor in the largely uncharted bay. Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition embarked from England in 1845, setting sail on the Erebus andTerror. The mission's objective was to navigate the last uncharted segments of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic while recording crucial magnetic data to enhance navigational understanding. Tragedy befell the expedition when both ships and their crews, totaling 129 officers and men, became ensnared in ice in Victoria Strait near King William Island in what is now Nunavut, Canada. After more than a year of being trapped, Erebus and Terror were abandoned in April 1848, a point at which two dozen men, including Franklin, had already succumbed to the harsh conditions. The surviving members, under the leadership of Franklin's second-in-command, Francis Crozier, and Erebus's captain, James Fitzjames, embarked for the Canadian mainland but mysteriously vanished, presumably perishing in the process. Upon urging from Franklin's wife, Jane, and others, the Admiralty initiated a search for the missing expedition in 1848. Subsequent decades saw multiple searches uncover various artefacts from the ill-fated journey, including the remains of two men, repatriated to Britain. Contemporary scientific investigations propose that the expedition's members did not meet swift demise. Hypothermia, starvation, lead poisoning, zinc deficiency, and diseases such as scurvy, exacerbated by exposure to the harsh environment without adequate clothing and nutrition, claimed the lives of all involved in the years following the last European sighting in 1845. Notably, cut marks on some recovered bones align with reports of cannibalism documented by Franklin searcher John Rae in 1854. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada adds: “The Franklin expedition remains one of the most popular mysteries from the nineteenth century. However, thanks to the important work of Parks Canada and Inuit partners, pieces of this mysterious puzzle are being retrieved allowing us to better understand the fascinating events of this incredible expedition.”
Keywords: erebus,terrror,canada,wrecks,archaeology,feature,photo,video,sea
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