Archaeologists have used DNA analysis to identify four more crew members from Captain Sir John Franklin’s 1846 Arctic expedition, which aimed to cross the Northwest Passage. The findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science and the Polar Record, expand the list of previously identified sailors lost during the doomed voyage.
Background of the Franklin Expedition
The expedition, led by Franklin aboard the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became icebound in the Victoria Strait, resulting in the deaths of all 129 crew members. The mystery surrounding their fate has persisted since the expedition’s disappearance.
The ships set sail on May 19, 1845, and were last sighted in July 1845 in Baffin Bay by whaling ship captains. Historical records suggest the crew spent the winter of 1845–1846 on Beechey Island, where the graves of three sailors were later discovered.
Key Events Leading to the Tragedy
In September 1846, the expedition sailed into the Victoria Strait but became trapped in ice off King William Island. Franklin died on June 11, 1847, as noted in a surviving document signed by Captain James Fitzjames the following April. Fitzjames assumed command after Franklin’s death, leading 105 survivors from their ice-bound ships.
It is believed that the remaining crew perished either during the winter encampment or while attempting to trek back to civilization.
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