Washington, Sep 11
Archaeologists have pieced
together how the crew of the wrecked 19th century Russian-American
Company sailing ship named Neva survived the harsh sub-arctic winter in
Alaska.
Before its Arctic demise, the Neva was famous as one of
two vessels that completed the first Russian circumnavigation of the
globe from 1803-1807.
The discovery can help scientists
understand the adaptations that allowed them to await rescue in a
frigid, unfamiliar environment for almost a month.
“The items
left behind by survivors provide a unique snapshot-in-time for January
1813,†said Dave McMahan of the Sitka Historical Society, Alaska.
"Collectively,
the artifacts reflect improvisation in a survival situation and do not
include ceramics, glass and other materials that would be associated
with a settlement,†McMahan added in a statement.
The wreck of
the frigate Neva, which occurred near the city of Sitka, has been
surrounded by stories and legends for two centuries.
Although survivors eventually were rescued and taken to Sitka, few accounts of their experience were collected or published.
No official records relating to the wreck and its aftermath have been discovered.
The
archaeological team believes articles they found over the past two
years represent the everyday tools used by 26 shipwrecked members of the
Neva's crew.
Those crewmembers survived for almost a month in
the winter of 1813 by foraging and gathering materials that washed
ashore from the wreck.
In July, researchers discovered at the
campsite a series of hearths with early 19th century artifacts such as
gun flints, musket balls, pieces of modified sheet copper, iron and
copper spikes, a Russian axe and a fishhook fashioned from copper.
Well
preserved food middens - or refuse heaps - will allow reconstruction of
the foraging strategies the sailors used to survive.
Gun flints found at the site appeared to have been used by survivors to start fires by striking them against steel.
Historical accounts credit a firearm used in this manner with helping save the crew from hypothermia.
Physical
evidence indicates the survivors tried to whittle down musket balls to
fit a smaller caliber weapon, such as a flintlock--most likely the same
firearm mentioned in the historical accounts.
The nature of the
artifacts seems to strongly indicate that survivors of the shipwreck
were active in ensuring their own survival.
They modified wreckage in desperation, but with ingenuity.
Because
the wreck occurred in an area of profound cultural significance to the
Tlingit people of Sitka, the team did not search for - nor did it
inadvertently discover - any graves of those who perished.
According to McMahan, the team hopes to continue the investigation next year with a smaller field effort at the camp.
The study was funded by the US National Science Foundation.
