Uncovering the Dark Truth: How a Doomed Arctic Expedition Descended into Cannibalism
(CNN) A team of archaeologists has identified remains with signs of cannibalism as those of a senior British officer who died on a failed 19th-century Arctic expedition. This research sheds light on the tragic and gruesome end of the crew members who disappeared.
New research has identified the skeletal remains of James Fitzjames, commander of the Royal Navy HMS Erebus, by comparing DNA from the remains with samples taken from living relatives. Sir John Franklin commanded Erebus and its sister ship, Terror. He led the expedition to explore the unexplored waters of the “Northwest Passage,” which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans off the coast of North America. This treacherous sea route through the northern tip of North America winds through Canada’s Arctic archipelago.
In April 1848, a full three years after the two ships left England, the expedition abandoned the ships, which were trapped in ice and 24 people, including Franklin, were killed. Fitzjames leads the 105 survivors on a long wandering journey. They sledged their boat to safety, but all lost their lives during the arduous journey. However, the exact circumstances of his death are still shrouded in mystery.
“The expedition came to a terrible end, and frighteningly quickly.” Doug Stenton, an archaeologist who led the study and teaches anthropology at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
Another team of researchers discovered 451 remains believed to be those of at least 13 sailors under Franklin on King William Island in Nunavut, Canada in 1993, which the new study identifies as those of FitzJames. The remains were also included. The results of this research were published on September 24th in the archaeological journal Archeological Science.
A jawbone that was determined by DNA analysis to belong to James Fitzjames. Arrows indicate cuts consistent with cannibalism/Anne Keenleyside
Testimony collected from local Inuit in the 1850s suggested that some of the crew members turned to cannibalism. These reports were initially met with disbelief in England, but after 40 years of research, it was discovered that a significant number of the remains had incisions marking the expedition’s tragic end.
The discovery of the identity of Fitzjames’ remains brings the tragedy that has gripped the hearts of British and Canadians even closer to home, and brings some closure to the family. Claire Warrior, senior curator, anthropologist and historian at the British Maritime Museum, says: “He had a life, he had a family, and you can hear his words. He was a bright, enthusiastic, jokester,” Warrior said. He did not participate in this research.
New research finds evidence of cannibalism in the remains of James Fitzjames, a senior officer on Sir John Franklin’s expedition./Alamy Stock Photo
DNA analysis and direct descendants
The site where the research team unearthed Fitzjames’ remains is located 80 kilometers south of Cape Victory, where the crew landed and attempted to evacuate and escape. Considering the circumstances, it appears that Fitzjames died within a few weeks of leaving Cape Victory, and it is possible that his health had already deteriorated before his death.
The exhumed remains were returned to King William Island in 1994 and buried in a stone memorial. But in 2013, Stenton and his team visited the island and collected samples of remains to be used for DNA analysis. The researchers focused primarily on teeth, where fragile DNA was most likely to be preserved.