A Franklin expedition officer's burial at Two Grave Bay, King William Island, Nunavut

Abstract

In 2018, archaeological investigations on King William Island led to the rediscovery of the grave of a member of the 1845 Franklin expedition first recorded in 1879, the exact location of which had been unknown for 139 years. The results of the 2018 investigation confirm the original interpretation that the deceased was a member of the Franklin expedition and a Royal Navy officer. The officer's death likely occurred in late April or early May 1848, during the retreat to the Back River by the expedition's 105 surviving members. Historical and archaeological evidence suggest the integrity of the grave was transformed by at least two temporally distinct episodes and types of disturbance. The officer's identity is unknown, but it is hoped that mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA profiles and a digital craniofacial reconstruction will contribute to a future identification.