This man died in the wreck of one of the ships of the Lapérouse expedition in 1788.
In 1785, King Louis XVI appointed Jean-François de Lapérouse to lead the French circumnavigation of the globe. The mission, which was to rival the exploits of Captain Cook, was both practical and scientific. On the frigates Bussol and Astrolabe, 225 sailors, officers and scientists set sail, equipped with the best scientific instruments, provisions and goods for trade. They crossed the Atlantic, rounded Cape Horn, stopped at Easter Island and Hawaii, then continued on to Alaska; on their return south they passed Kamchatka, the coast of China and the Philippines. In January 1788, the expedition landed in Botany Bay, Australia. Laperouse's crew resumed their voyage on March 10, 1788, leaving the last set of letters to the British navy. They were expected to return to France in the summer of 1788, but the expedition disappeared without a trace. It is said that Louis XVI, on his way to the guillotine in 1793, asked his executioners, “Is there any news of Lapérouse?”
In 1826, Irish sea captain Peter Dillon saw European objects at Tikopia in the Solomon Islands that locals told him came from the nearby island of Vanikoro. At the head of an exploring vessel, Dillon traveled to Vanikoro in 1827. He was able to determine that both of Laperouse's ships had been wrecked on coral reefs during a storm, that the crew members had built a boat from the wreckage and sailed away in it, and that some survivors remained on the island. One of the shipwrecks was discovered just four kilometers southwest of the island. The artifacts found, including a ship's bell and a silver sword hilt, were taken to Paris, where they were identified as belonging to the expedition.
In 1962, New Zealand diver Rhys Discombe found a second ship: it lay on a reef about a kilometer east of the first wreck. Systematic research began in 1981 and recovered many important items from the wreck. Traces of the camp were finally discovered on an island in the Payou area, near the Laurentian Delta, in 1999: among other things, archaeologists found musket bullets, a candlestick and part of a military compass.
However, the most stunning discovery was made by underwater archaeologists who surveyed the wreck: in 2003, at a depth of 15 meters, under a thick layer of sediment, they found a skeleton. The skeleton is perfectly preserved, which is highly atypical for bodies found in seawater.
Anthropological studies indicate a male European, 30 to 34 years old, 1.65 to 1.70 meters tall, with poorly developed musculature. The man's left humerus was deformed, indicating an old compound fracture. The right femur was shorter than the left, although this did not affect walking. The dentition was incomplete (teeth lost after death), but the teeth were surprisingly healthy. The canines showed severe wear and tear.
Death occurred probably 201±29 years ago, which is quite compatible with the disappearance of two ships of the Lapérouse expedition. But it is definitely not Lapérouse - he was 47 at the time of the disappearance of the Lapérouse expedition. The researchers assumed that the skeleton belonged to an officer of the Royal Navy or a scientist. This was confirmed by the fact that the skeleton was found at the stern of the ship, where the commanders were usually placed. Reconstruction of the man's face on the skull was performed by the famous specialist Elizabeth Daines.
At first it was believed that the deceased was an artist and botanist Duchet de Vancy, who was on board the “Astrolabe”, but this idea was abandoned in 2005, when the wreckage of the ship was identified as the “Bussol”. Currently, there are two versions. According to one, the deceased is Jean-André Monge, a chaplain and naturalist who was 36 years old. This idea is supported by the fact that a number of ecclesiastical objects were found near the skeleton. Another possible candidate is the astronomer Joseph Lepot d'Ajele. The facial reconstruction is similar to his surviving portrait.
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This man died in the wreck of one of the ships of the Lapérouse expedition in 1788.
In 1785, King Louis XVI appointed Jean-François de Lapérouse to lead the French circumnavigation of the globe. The mission, which was to rival the exploits of Captain Cook, was both practical and scientific. On the frigates Bussol and Astrolabe, 225 sailors, officers and scientists set sail, equipped with the best scientific instruments, provisions and goods for trade. They crossed the Atlantic, rounded Cape Horn, stopped at Easter Island and Hawaii, then continued on to Alaska; on their return south they passed Kamchatka, the coast of China and the Philippines. In January 1788, the expedition landed in Botany Bay, Australia. Laperouse's crew resumed their voyage on March 10, 1788, leaving the last set of letters to the British navy. They were expected to return to France in the summer of 1788, but the expedition disappeared without a trace. It is said that Louis XVI, on his way to the guillotine in 1793, asked his executioners, “Is there any news of Lapérouse?”
In 1826, Irish sea captain Peter Dillon saw European objects at Tikopia in the Solomon Islands that locals told him came from the nearby island of Vanikoro. At the head of an exploring vessel, Dillon traveled to Vanikoro in 1827. He was able to determine that both of Laperouse's ships had been wrecked on coral reefs during a storm, that the crew members had built a boat from the wreckage and sailed away in it, and that some survivors remained on the island. One of the shipwrecks was discovered just four kilometers southwest of the island. The artifacts found, including a ship's bell and a silver sword hilt, were taken to Paris, where they were identified as belonging to the expedition.
In 1962, New Zealand diver Rhys Discombe found a second ship: it lay on a reef about a kilometer east of the first wreck. Systematic research began in 1981 and recovered many important items from the wreck. Traces of the camp were finally discovered on an island in the Payou area, near the Laurentian Delta, in 1999: among other things, archaeologists found musket bullets, a candlestick and part of a military compass.
However, the most stunning discovery was made by underwater archaeologists who surveyed the wreck: in 2003, at a depth of 15 meters, under a thick layer of sediment, they found a skeleton. The skeleton is perfectly preserved, which is highly atypical for bodies found in seawater.
Anthropological studies indicate a male European, 30 to 34 years old, 1.65 to 1.70 meters tall, with poorly developed musculature. The man's left humerus was deformed, indicating an old compound fracture. The right femur was shorter than the left, although this did not affect walking. The dentition was incomplete (teeth lost after death), but the teeth were surprisingly healthy. The canines showed severe wear and tear.
Death occurred probably 201±29 years ago, which is quite compatible with the disappearance of two ships of the Lapérouse expedition. But it is definitely not Lapérouse - he was 47 at the time of the disappearance of the Lapérouse expedition. The researchers assumed that the skeleton belonged to an officer of the Royal Navy or a scientist. This was confirmed by the fact that the skeleton was found at the stern of the ship, where the commanders were usually placed.
Reconstruction of the man's face on the skull was performed by the famous specialist Elizabeth Daines.
At first it was believed that the deceased was an artist and botanist Duchet de Vancy, who was on board the “Astrolabe”, but this idea was abandoned in 2005, when the wreckage of the ship was identified as the “Bussol”. Currently, there are two versions. According to one, the deceased is Jean-André Monge, a chaplain and naturalist who was 36 years old. This idea is supported by the fact that a number of ecclesiastical objects were found near the skeleton. Another possible candidate is the astronomer Joseph Lepot d'Ajele. The facial reconstruction is similar to his surviving portrait.
Genetic testing has not yet been successful.
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