NUNAVUT, CANADA—CBC News Canada reports that underwater archaeologists diving on the wreck of HMS Erebus cleaned a lot of kelp off the ship, took detailed measurements of it, and recovered 39 artifacts this season during a period of good weather. Among the objects are a portion of the ship’s wheel, a sword hilt, and a boot. “We now have a really solid understanding of the site that will allow us to develop the best strategy for future investigations,” said Marc-André Bernier of Parks Canada. The team also recorded plates, mariners’ tools, and other artifacts made of wood, lead, copper, and glass at the site. “This shipwreck is proving to be very rich in artifacts. It will have many clues that will lead to the demise and what happened to the crew members,” added Adrian Schimnowski of the Arctic Research Foundation. Parks Canada underwater archaeologists are still looking for HMS Terror, the other Franklin Expedition ship lost in Arctic in the mid-nineteenth century. For more, go to "Saga of the Northwest Passage."
