Human remains from the Batavia unearthed in 1999.
Image courtesy of the WA Museum
How archaeologists deal with skeletal remains discovered on shipwrecks is the subject of a new paper by a WA Maritime Museum scientist.
Dr Ian MacLeod, the executive director of collection management and conservation, said the age of the human remains has a direct bearing on the way in which shipwrecks have been managed.
For example, the discovery of HMAS Sydney last month has raised issues over the possibility of finding remains on the World War Two wreck sitting in 2.5km of water off Shark Bay.
Dr MacLeod said human remains were not expected to be found on Sydney during a close-up survey of the wreck.
If skeletal material exists, it will be beyond camera view inside sealed compartments or rooms hidden inside the twisted remains of the wreck.
Dr MacLeod said bacteria and sea life would have quickly broken down the bodies of the dead sailors and most of their belongings.
The sea did the rest, dissolving the calcium carbonate in bones as the temperature dropped in the face of crushing pressures.
Dr MacLeod said skeletal material has been found on other wrecks including Titanic, Batavia and Mary Rose.
He said how wrecks such as Sydney were managed often was determined by ethical and legal standards applied to artefacts found on wrecks.
For many of those left behind after the Sydney disaster, the loss of loved ones continues to be felt deeply - nearly 67 years after the naval nightmare.
This will influence how Australia's newest sea grave will be managed.
Dr MacLeod said a series of processes was applied to justify archaeological intervention and removal of human remains from wreck sites.
These formed the basis of the code of ethics of bodies such as the Australian Institute of Maritime Archaeology.
Dr MacLeod's paper places particular emphasis on the issues surrounding war graves.
He said that systematic archaeological excavation of English King Henry VIII’s warship Mary Rose (1545), Dutch ship Batavia (1629) and Pandora, the British frigate sent to seize HMS Bounty (1799), had seen the recovery of human remains.
Issues of how to manage such material normally did not arouse much discussion since there were few known direct lineal descendants, with the identity of the original passengers and crew remaining largely unknown.
"However, this issue has become very significant for those concerned with the management and excavation of more recent wrecks such as those of RMS Titanic (1912) and warships associated with World War Two, such as the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbour in 1942.
“It would appear that there are two sets of standards being applied to the same problem.
"In the case of twentieth century wrecks, the fact that many of those entombed in the wrecks have known identities and surviving family members who have direct lineal descent from the dead makes the issue of mortal remains very much alive in their hearts."
He said the Council for British Archaeology reported in 2004 that an arbitrary date of 75 years for approval to disturb human remains seems to have been applied by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport of the UK government.
"As such, maritime archaeologists and conservators are less keen to become too deeply involved in such projects, often for fear of being condemned by their colleagues,” Dr MaLeod said. "There appears to be a double standard. To work on old wrecks is OK, but to work on more recent shipwrecks is beyond the pale."
Dr MacLeod said he received no negative comment on working on the 1653 Cromwellian shipwreck Swan, but was threatened with being blackballed for conserving materials recovered from the 1912 RMS Titanic.
Shipwrecks provide a unique resource of information through the work of maritime archaeologists, conservators and anthropologists because the material from them provides a rare insight into the lives of ordinary people who travelled by or worked on the sea.
Conservation ensures the safety and longevity of old objects; and, more importantly, sources of historical and technical information recorded by conservators during treatment and analyses.
"There exists the inherent dilemma between the conservation’s physical requirements and the need to respect the spiritual and ethical issues associated with recovery of human skeletal material and its possible reinterment and hallowing of the site,” Dr MacLeod said.
"By making the public more aware of the ethical, religious and social implications of site management, recovery and conservation of human remains on wrecked planes and ships, the visitor will be able to experience the true value of these cultural resources.
"Conservation training programs should include a topic on how to manage spiritual issues associated with human remains and sacred sites.
Dr MacLeod’s paper will be published in the Bulletin of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials later in 2008.
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