The Franklin Expedition -- And Other Archeological Updates

I am a Franklin freak. 

There, I said it. The Brick finds it terribly amusing that I gobble up any new information about the Arctic expedition, led by Franklin back in the LATE 1840s. Am I nuts, to be so curious? No one survived, to tell us what really happened. But in recent years, both of the expedition's ships, the Terror and the Erebus, have been found. Underwater, of course.
     Bits and pieces of the men, their boats (which they dragged, poor guys) and various possessions, from prayerbooks to silk handkerchiefs, have been discovered. Two of the best books on the subject have been bedside reading for weeks now:

Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition by Own Beattie (be sure to get the latest edition, for update reasons)

Relics of the Franklin Expedition: Discovering Artifacts from the Doomed Artic Voyage of 1845 by Garth Walpole (one amazing book, for consolidating all the relics -- so far, at least -- theories and search expeditions)

I've also enjoyed David Woodman's Unraveling the Franklin Mystery: Inuit Testimony.  Inuit accounts are the direct reason why the Terror and Erebus shipwrecks, particularly the Terror, were ever found, in the first place.

If you're curious, too, this is a fascinating documentary about the Franklin Expedition.

I've told you about this before, when the HMS Terror was discovered. And here, for the AMC series, The Terror.  I read the novel the series was based on, though, and wasn't impressed. Too creepy, too many made-up speculative details --

Here's a post on the Erebus artifacts recovered from the shipwreck. More here, from a Canadian government site.

One of their latest finds?  

A Blue Willow dinner plate, very similar to the set I was given by Little Brother in high school! (We still eat on some of the remaining plates, every day. I love this stuff.) According to the site:

The dinner plates are made of whiteware, a material intended to imitate Chinese porcelain. Some are decorated with a pattern known as blue willow. It was the most common and affordable pattern in the 19th century. Several pieces have engraved markings on their back or notches on their foot-ring.

From the 'artifacts' section. Several plates were discovered, near the galley stove on the Erebus.

Get right in there with the divers, thanks to an underwater look at the Erebus (the Terror too, I think):

If you can also get a little nutty about this subject, there's the 'Remembering the Franklin Expedition' Facebook group, which I just joined. Thanks to them, I get updates on the latest Franklin news, including a new expedition to look for John Franklin's grave. (The novel has him just dumped down a hole in the ice, which I highly doubt. The leader of the expedition, treated in such a cavalier fashion? No way.)

     Even better, today (June 29) is the 205th anniversary of the launching of the HMS Terror! It was also one of the British ships out there shelling the heck out of an American fort, inspiring lawyer Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner. So, in its honor:

Other interesting developments in the world of archeology, collectors and history-lovers:

An engraved stone that may explain what happened to the Roanoke settlers -- or it may be a fake.

More horses (and other weird stuff) revealed at Pompeii. The Brick visited the museum there back when he was in the Navy, but has never actually been to the excavations. I would love to see these.

Ten weapon discoveries that changed how we look at ancient cultures, and:

Ten amazing images from ancient art.  (Thanks, Listverse, for both.)

An exhibit that explores new theories -- and shows new artifacts -- about the sinking of the HMS Titanic.

The auction results of a prominent collection of Custer artifacts. George Armstrong Custer, that is... controversial figure in the Little Bighorn battle. Including a sign that hung on his office door:

"I Am Busy Now"  (in capital lettering)

Yes, this guy. (Wikipedia)

Note to self: Based on the prices realized, you should have been scouting out Custer items, instead of fooling around so much with Bigfoot!



If you love history -- and both the Brick and I do -- this is a fascinating time to be alive. We are so fortunate to not only have the Internet and research to keep us posted...but new discoveries happen every year.

I love knowing that others have come before us -- and will after, as well.