illuminator newsletter #29
DIVE SEASON NEWS
Image: Parks Canada underwater archaeologist Marc-André Bernier carefully excavates a seamen’s chest in the forecastle (crew living quarters) on the lower deck of HMS Erebus, September 17, 2023. Photo: Brett Seymour/Parks Canada.
22 January 2024
Parks Canada released details on the 2023 dive season today, in the form of a new webpage, a short video, and a press release.
From the new webpage for the 2023 season:
Recovered from the presumed 2nd Lieutenant’s cabin (Le Vesconte): “a parallel rule, an intact thermometer, a leather book cover, and a fishing rod with a brass reel.”
Recovered from the presumed 3rd Lieutenant’s cabin (Fairholme): “what appear to be fossil souvenirs,” that “supplement similar fossil finds in the cabin from 2022.” [I believe this is the first we’ve heard about these. –L.Z.]
Recovered from the presumed Captain’s Steward’s pantry: “a leather shoe or boot bottom, storage jars, and a sealed pharmaceutical bottle.”
Recovered from a seaman’s chest in the forecastle: “pistols, military items, footwear, medicinal bottles, and coins.” [I believe this represents the first excavation of one of the seaman’s chests. –L.Z.]
The spare propeller (lying a short distance from the wreck) newly documented. [And with an excellent new photo of that propeller. –L.Z.] An ice anchor found in the debris field: “This is the first such anchor found on the wrecks of either Erebus or Terror.”
The webpage contains two new photos of Erebus, in situ photos of the propeller and ice anchor, and three artifact photos (pistol, fishing reel, cracked bowl).
The Nattilik Heritage Centre Expansion project will “house a new exhibition in 2025.”
Link to the new webpage for the 2023 season:
https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nu/epaveswrecks/culture/archeologie-archeology/explore/2023
The video:
39 seconds of new footage of Erebus, two new photos of her, plus new artifact footage and artifact photos not available on the above webpage.
The press release:
This contains the first mention from Park Canada’s side of the transfer of Erebus artifacts to the Royal Navy museum: “Parks Canada will transfer a sample of HMS Erebus artifacts to the National Museum of the Royal Navy starting in 2024. These artifacts, including a ship’s bell and a cannon…”
[From a previous issue of this newsletter (#23): the museum suggested the Erebus artifacts may be going to Portsmouth, Belfast, and Hartlepool.]
SINCE THE LAST ISSUE
My thanks to everyone who came to my talk in Bath. My apologies to everyone who was turned away; we hadn’t expected to sell out. My thanks to Jude Harris and Matt Williams at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution for putting this event together, including the new display of their Franklin relics. My thanks to Lou Morgan for this photograph.
21 January 2024
Alison Freebairn and I have released the first installment in a new study of the Beechey Island gravemarker inscriptions.
https://www.illuminator.blog/p/gravemarkers.html
19 January 2024
Polar Record has a new article on Franklin Search fox collars.