HMS Erebus Material Culture: Reaching Out to Individuals in Shipwreck Historical Archaeology

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "The Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site of Canada: 2016-2019 Underwater Archaeological Investigations" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The discoveries of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror promise long-waited answers to lingering mysteries of the 1845 Franklin Expedition. Archaeological study of the HMS Erebus wreck site (as well as initial exploration of the HMS Terror wreck) demonstrate the great potential for feature and artifact group discoveries from sealed contexts. This paper looks at the different ways in which identities and hierarchy are expressed through material culture aboard mid-nineteenth century Royal Navy exploration ships, in particular HMS Erebus. It specifically addresses the potential to identify and study individuals aboard the wreck through the interpretation of material culture in conjunction with historical evidence. Depending on archaeological context, clothing artefacts, weapons, and personal items can and will be linked to specific ranks and/or individual crew members. Knowledge pertaining to these and other individuals will be valuable in reconstructing the final phases of the Franklin Expedition.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• The Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site of Canada: 2016-2019 Underwater Archaeological Investigations

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 779