A Franklin expedition officer's burial at Two Grave Bay, King William Island, Nunavut. (February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stenton, Douglas R.; Keenleyside, Anne; Froesch, Philippe; Park, Robert W.
• Is Part Of: Journal of archaeological science. Volume 35(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-02
• Subjects: Franklin expedition -- Bioarchaeology -- Human remains -- Digital facial reconstruction; Archaeology -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Research -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102687
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-409X

Abstract

Highlights: Digital cranio-facial reconstruction of an officer from the 1845 Franklin expedition. Clarification of site formation processes in the decades after the Franklin tragedy. New inferences from variability in burial practices during the Franklin expedition. Abstract: In 2018, archaeological investigations on King William Island led to the rediscovery of the grave of a member of the 1845 Franklin expedition first recorded in 1879, the exact location of which had been unknown for 139 years. The results of the 2018 investigation confirm the original interpretation that the deceased was a member of the Franklin expedition and a Royal Navy officer. The officer's death likely occurred in late April or early May 1848, during the retreat to the Back River by the expedition's 105 surviving members. Historical and archaeological evidence suggest the integrity of the grave was transformed by at least two temporally distinct episodes and types of disturbance. The officer's identity is unknown, but it is hoped that mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA profiles and a digital craniofacial reconstruction will contribute to a future identification.