DNA Analysis Identifies Four More Crew Members of Franklin’s Lost Arctic Expedition

The application of DNA analysis to forensic archaeology is providing new answers to one of the most enduring mysteries of Arctic exploration. Researchers have successfully used genetic testing to identify four additional crew members from the doomed expedition led by Sir John S. Franklin, who attempted to navigate the Northwest Passage in the mid-19th century.

These identifications were detailed in two separate academic publications, with findings reported in the Journal of Archaeological Science and the Polar Record.

The 1845 Arctic Expedition

The expedition set sail on May 19, 1845, utilizing two ships: the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror. The mission was designed to cross the Northwest Passage, but the voyage ended in tragedy for all 129 crew members.

The ships were last seen in July 1845 in Baffin Bay by the captains of two whaling vessels. During the winter of 1845–1846, the expedition remained on Beechey Island, where the graves of three crew members were eventually discovered.

Chronology of the Disaster

Following the winter at Beechey Island, the expedition continued into the Victoria Strait. In September 1846, both the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror became icebound off King William Island, trapping the crew in the harsh Arctic environment.

Sir John S. Franklin died on June 11, 1847, a date confirmed by a surviving note signed by Captain James Fitzjames in April of the following year.

After Franklin’s death, Captain James Fitzjames of the HMS Erebus assumed overall command of the mission. He led 105 survivors in a desperate attempt to walk across the sea ice from the island toward the Canadian mainland in search of civilization.

Despite these efforts, every member of the 129-person crew ultimately perished. The recent use of DNA analysis allows researchers to finally assign names to the recovered remains of those lost during the voyage, bridging the gap between historical records and physical evidence.