Archaeology of the 1871 Western Arctic Whaling Ship Disaster: Survey Afloat and Ashore

Barrow Arctic Science Consortium (Basc), Barrow AK

Investigators

Abstract

This project, led by Principle Investigator Randolph Beebe, will locate and survey the remains of the "Western Arctic Whaling Ship Disaster." During a fall storm in 1871, 31 Yankee whaling ships were crushed by the ice and sunk or burned near Point Belcher, Alaska. During a previous field survey, utilizing sonar, the research team was able to locate a number of submerged features considered to be promising for future investigation. This project will ground-truth those submerged features, continue the side scan sonar survey, incorporate a cesium magnetometer survey, and systematically document the on-shore sites containing substantial wreckage from the 19th Century whaling fleet. In addition, through collaborations with the Inupiat Heritage Center and the Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation Science Center, the research team will be making presentation and informing the local community of the research results.