Archaeologists Discover Perfectly Preserved 168- Year-Old Ship in the Arctic Sea

An arctic research mission claims that
it’s discovered the HMS Terror , one of
two Franklin Expedition ships that
sunk during a doomed attempt to
traverse the Northwest Passage.
Incredibly, the 168-year-old wreck
would probably not have been found
if it weren’t for information provided
by an indigenous crew member.
As reported in the The Guardian , the
Arctic Research Foundation
discovered the HMS Terror in
Nunavut Bay. “Resting proud on 24
metres [78 feet] of water, we found
HMS Terror —203 years old, it is
perfectly preserved in the frigid
waters of the Northwest Passage,”
noted Arctic Research Foundation
spokesperson Adrian Schimnowski.
Underwater footage shows the ship in
excellent condition, with all three
masts still standing and nearly all
hatches closed. A pair of wine bottles,
tables, a desk (with its drawers open),
and empty shelving were seen inside
the wreck.
The ship was abandoned in sea ice in
1848 during a failed attempt to find
the Northwest Passage from the
Atlantic Ocean to Asia. All 129 crew
members were lost, nearly three years
after the Franklin Expedition set out
from England. Two years ago, it’s
companion ship, the HMS Erebus , was
discovered by underwater
archaeologists from Parks Canada.
Inuit oral history helped researchers
narrow its location.