Texas archaeologists Arlen Chase and Diane Chase have made a significant discovery. They uncovered the 4th-century tomb of Te’ K’ab Chaak. He was the earliest ruler of Caracol, a major Mayan city located in Belize.
This finding adds valuable information to our understanding of ancient Mayan civilization.
The tomb belongs to Te’ K’ab Chaak, the earliest known ruler of Caracol, a key ancient city in Belize.
Meanwhile, researchers in Canada have made headway in one of history’s famous Arctic tragedies. Led by the University of Waterloo, the team identified four additional crew members from Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition of 1845 through DNA analysis. The four crew members are William Orren, David Young, John Bridgens, and Harry Peglar. This was achieved by matching the DNA of the remains with living descendants.
Franklin’s expedition aimed to chart the Northwest Passage. The vessels, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became trapped in ice in 1846, and Franklin died the following year. By April 1848, the surviving crew attempted to escape on foot across the harsh Arctic terrain, but none survived.
Researchers explain that the harsh Arctic conditions created severe threats for Franklin’s crew. These included extreme cold, ice capable of crushing ships, and the risk of death from illness or injury.
The DNA findings also revealed that Captain James Fitzjames, whose remains had signs of cannibalism, was identified in 2024. Researchers found most identified sailors near Erebus Bay, a location crucial to the study.
The motivation behind the Franklin expedition was to discover the Northwest Passage as a faster trade route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This effort was perceived as prestigious for Britain at the time. Researchers hope to identify more crew members by working with genealogists and collecting archaeological DNA samples in the future.