ABSTRACT. In 1992, a previously unrecorded site of Sir John Franklin's last expedition (1845 -1848) was discovered on King William Island in the central Canadian Arctic. Artifacts recovered from the site included iron and copper nails, glass, a clay pipe fragment, pieces of fabric and shoe leather, buttons, and a scatter of wood fragments, possibly representing the remains of a lifeboat or sledge. Nearly 400 human bones and bone fragments, representing a minimum of 11 men, were also found at the site. A combination of artifactual and oxygen isotope evidence indicated a European origin for at least two of these individuals. Skeletal pathology included periostitis, osteoarthritis, dental caries, abscesses, antemortem tooth loss, and periodontal disease. Mass spectroscopy and x-ray fluorescence revealed elevated lead levels consistent with previous measurements, further supporting the conclusion that lead poisoning contributed to the demise of the expedition. Cut marks on approximately one-quarter of the remains support 19th-century Inuit accounts of cannibalism among Franklin's crew.Key words: Franklin Expedition, skeletal remains, oxygen isotope analysis, lead poisoning, cannibalism RÉSUMÉ. En 1992, on a découvert un site non mentionné auparavant, relié à la dernière expédition de sir John Franklin (1845-1848) dans l'île du Roi-Guillaume, située au centre de l'océan Arctique canadien. Les artefacts récupérés sur ce site comprenaient des clous en fer et en cuivre, du verre, un fragment de pipe en terre, des morceaux de tissu et de cuir de chaussure, des boutons et de multiples fragments de bois éparpillés, qui pourraient venir d'un canot de sauvetage ou d'un traîneau. On a aussi trouvé sur le site un total d'environ 400 fragments osseux ou os complets, représentant au moins 11 hommes. En se basant à la fois sur de la documentation archéologique et sur des analyses des isotopes de l'oxygène, on a pu attribuer une origine européenne à au moins deux de ces individus. Les lésions osseuses comprenaient périostites, ostéo-arthrite, caries dentaires, abcès, perte de dents précédant le décès et parodontolyses. La spectroscopie de masse et la fluorescence X ont révélé de forts taux de plomb correspondant aux mesures précédentes, venant ainsi appuyer la conclusion qui veut que l'empoisonnement par le plomb ait contribué à la fin de l'expédition. Des entailles sur environ un quart des ossements confirment les récits inuit du XIX e siècle sur le cannibalisme pratiqué par l'équipage de Franklin.Mots clés: expédition Franklin, ossements, analyse des isotopes de l'oxygène, empoisonnement par le plomb, cannibalisme Traduit pour la revue Arctic par Nésida Loyer.
ABSTRACT. Fort Conger, located in Quttinirpaaq National Park, Ellesmere Island, is a historic landmark of national and international significance. The site is associated with many important Arctic expeditions, including the ill-fated Lady Franklin Bay Expedition of the First International Polar Year and Robert Peary's attempts to claim the North Pole. Although situated in one of the most remote locations on earth, Fort Conger is currently at risk because of the effects of climate change, weather, wildlife, and human activity. In this paper, we show how 3D laser scanning was used to record cultural features rapidly and accurately despite the harsh conditions present at the site. We discuss how the future impacts of natural processes and human activities can be managed using 3D scanning data as a baseline, how conservation and restoration work can be planned from the resulting models, and how 3D models created from laser scanning data can be used to excite public interest in cultural stewardship and Arctic history.Key words: laser scanning, heritage preservation, Arctic exploration, inorganic contamination, virtual reality, computer modeling RÉSUMÉ. Fort Conger, situé dans le parc national Quttinirpaaq, sur l'île d'Ellesmere, est un lieu historique d'importance nationale et internationale. Ce site est lié à de nombreuses expéditions arctiques importantes, dont l'infortunée expédition de la baie Lady Franklin relevant de la première année polaire internationale et les tentatives de revendication du pôle Nord par Robert Peary. Bien qu'il se trouve dans l'un des endroits les plus éloignés du globe, Fort Conger subit actuellement les risques découlant des effets du changement climatique, des conditions météorologiques, de la faune et de l'activité humaine. Dans cette communication, nous montrons comment un scanneur laser 3D a permis de répertorier les caractéristiques culturelles avec rapidité et précision malgré les conditions difficiles qui ont cours à ce site. Nous discutons de la manière dont les incidences futures des processus naturels et de l'activité humaine peuvent être gérées à l'aide des données 3D comme données de base, comment les travaux de conservation et de restauration peuvent être planifiés à partir des modèles qui en résultent et comment les modèles 3D créés à partir des données de scannage laser peuvent rehausser l'intérêt du grand public à l'égard de la gérance culturelle et de l'histoire de l'Arctique.Mots clés : scannage laser, préservation du patrimoine, exploration de l'Arctique, contamination inorganique, réalité virtuelle, modélisation informatisée Traduit pour la revue Arctic par Nicole Giguère.
Fort Conger, located at Discovery Harbour in Lady Franklin Bay on northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, played an intrinsic role in several High Arctic expeditions between 1875 and 1935, particularly around 1900 -10 during the height of the Race to the North Pole. Here are found the remains of historic voyages of exploration and discovery related to the 19 th century expeditions of G.S. Nares and A.W. Greely, early 20th century expeditions of R.E. Peary, and forays by explorers, travelers, and government and military personnel. In the Peary era, Fort Conger's connection with indigenous people was amplified, as most of the expedition personnel who were based there were Inughuit from Greenland, and the survival strategies of the explorers were largely derived from Inughuit material cultural and environmental expertise. The complex of shelters at Fort Conger symbolizes an evolution from the rigid application of Western knowledge, as represented in the unsuitable prefabricated Greely expedition house designed in the United States, towards the pragmatic adaptation of Aboriginal knowledge represented in the Inughuit-influenced shelters that still stand today. Fort Conger currently faces various threats to its longevity: degradation of wooden structures through climate and weathering, bank erosion, visitation, and inorganic contamination. Its early history and links with Greenlandic Inughuit have suggested that the science of heritage preservation, along with management practices of monitoring, remediation of contamination, and 3D laser scanning, should be applied to maintain the site for future generations.
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