Current:Home > MyDivers discover guns and coins in wrecks of ships that vanished nearly 2 centuries ago off Canada-LoTradeCoin
Divers discover guns and coins in wrecks of ships that vanished nearly 2 centuries ago off Canada
View Date:2024-12-23 20:57:53
In 1845, the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror set sail from England on a mission to chart a passage around the top of North America. Led by Captain Sir John Franklin, the voyage ended in tragedy three years later when both ships were lost in the frigid waters off Canada's coast.
None of the 129 men on board the ships survived. The so-called Franklin Expedition marked the worst disaster in the history of British polar exploration, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich in London.
Nearly two centuries after the ships sank, divers exploring the HMS Erebus wreck have discovered an array of "fascinating artifacts," including pistols, coins and even an intact thermometer, officials announced this week.
Underwater archaeologists conducted 68 dives over 12 days in September to continue investigating and documenting the wreck of HMS Erebus, Parks Canada said in a news release. The team excavated a seamen's chest in the forward part of the ship, below deck, where most of the crew lived, finding "numerous artifacts including pistols, military items, footwear, medicinal bottles, and coins."
In an area believed to be Captain Franklin's pantry, archaeologists found a leather shoe, storage jars and a sealed medicine bottle. Inside another officer's cabin, researchers discovered "items related to navigation, science, and leisure" — including a parallel rule, thermometer, leather book cover, and a fishing rod with a brass reel.
Parks Canada released video of the expedition showing divers retrieving artifacts from the shipwreck and scientists examining the items in a lab.
The archaeologists also captured thousands of high-resolution photos of HMS Erebus. Parks Canada said the images would be used to produce 3-D models to better assess how the site of the wreck — which is in relatively shallow water and vulnerable to storm waves — is changing over time.
After exploring HMS Erebus, the team returned two days later to the wreck of HMS Terror to conduct remote sensing of the ship.
"This included surveying of the wreck to capture a snapshot of its condition and widening the mapping of a vessel access corridor into this mostly uncharted bay," the researchers wrote.
Exactly what doomed the ships, which likely got stuck in ice, remains unknown, and officials have relied thus far on Inuit oral histories to piece together what happened.
"A total of 39 missions were sent to the Arctic but it wasn't until the 1850s that evidence of what befell the men began to emerge," according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. "The exact circumstances of their deaths remain a mystery to this day."
Parks Canada has been working with the Nattilik Heritage Society and Inuit Heritage Trust for seveal years to explore the wrecks.
Officials said the artifacts that were recently retrieved would undergo conservation treatment before being displayed at the Nattilik Heritage Centre in Gjoa Haven, an Inuit hamlet in Nunavut, above the Arctic Circle.
"The Franklin expedition remains one of the most popular mysteries from the 19th century," Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault said in a statement. "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."
- In:
- Shipwreck
- Canada
Stephen Smith is a senior editor for CBSNews.com.
veryGood! (64468)
Related
- The Army’s answer to a lack of recruits is a prep course to boost low scores. It’s working
- American billionaire Rocco Commisso's journey to owning an Italian soccer team
- American tourist disappears while visiting ancient Mayan city
- Monarch butterfly presence in Mexican forests drops 22%, report says
- AI could help scale humanitarian responses. But it could also have big downsides
- David and Victoria Beckham's Daughter Harper Is All Grown Up in Rare Family Photo
- Every Bombshell From Alex Murdaugh's Murder Trial Testimony
- Somalia drought blamed for some 43,000 deaths, half of them children, as climate change and conflict collide
- Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'
- Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves' Kids Steal the Show at Paris Fashion Week
Ranking
- Full House's John Stamos Shares Message to Costar Dave Coulier Amid Cancer Battle
- Revolve's One-Day Only Sitewide Anniversary Sale Has the Trendiest Spring Styles
- Vanderpump Rules' Raquel Leviss Tried Making Out With Tom Schwartz Before Infamous Mexico Kiss
- Gunmen kill 11 in ambush blamed on decades-old family feud in Pakistan
- Smithfield agrees to pay $2 million to resolve child labor allegations at Minnesota meat plant
- Amazon Vacation Shop: 17 Affordable Travel Essentials for Your Next Trip
- Brandon Routh Shares His Biggest Piece of Advice for the Next Superman
- Gigi Hadid Makes Rare Comment About Co-Parenting Daughter Khai With Ex Zayn Malik
Recommendation
-
Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
-
Chrishell Stause Reveals the Beauty Hack That Keeps Her Looking Young
-
Gunmen kill 11 in ambush blamed on decades-old family feud in Pakistan
-
Balenciaga's Paris Fashion Week Show Doesn't Ruffle Any Feathers Following Inappropriate Campaign
-
Japan to resume V-22 flights after inquiry finds pilot error caused accident
-
Credit Suisse shares slide after rival UBS buys it for $3.2 billion
-
How Alexandra Xandra Pohl Is Taking Over TikTok, One Relatable Video at a Time
-
Pregnant The Ultimatum Star April Marie Reveals Sex of First Baby With Cody Cooper