Since finding the long-lost vessels, archaeologists have focused much of their attention on the Erebus, which they’ve deemed to be the more vulnerable of the two ships. Inuit Guardians and Parks Canada archaeology team members posing for a photo at the end of the April/May exploration of the H.M.S. Parks Canada is working closely with the Inuit Guardians of the Nattilik Heritage Society, which aims to preserve the culture and history of the Inuit. Researchers are now studying and preserving the artifacts, which are jointly owned by the Inuit Heritage Trust and the Canadian government, at Parks Canada’s lab in Ottawa. Erebus Marc-André Bernier / Parks Canadaĭuring 56 dives over 11 days, Parks Canada archaeologists hauled up an embossed leather folio, an eyeglass lens, a lieutenant’s epaulets, plates, serving dishes, platters, drafting tools and dozens of other items, reports Bob Weber of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). They brought 275 artifacts from the Erebus to the surface in 2022, Parks Canada announced last month.Ī Parks Canada archaeologist examining the wreck of the H.M.S.

While the Covid-19 pandemic initially delayed their exploration of the vessels, archaeologists are now back in action in the Canadian Arctic. They located the wreck of the other ship, the H.M.S. Erebus, in the icy waters near King Williams Island in Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost territory. Then, in 2014, Canadian archaeologists discovered the remains of one of the vessels, the H.M.S. At some point during their treacherous quest, Franklin and his crew of 128 men mysteriously disappeared, never to be heard from again. In May 1845, two ships under the command of Sir John Franklin set sail from England in search of the elusive Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Hms erebus and hms terror