Using techniques such as radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analysis, researchers can determine the age and origin of skeletal remains found in shipwrecks. This information can help to identify victims of maritime disasters and solve cold cases.
In 2019, for example, researchers identified the remains of a young woman found in a shipwreck off the coast of Western Australia as those of a missing British convict named Mary Ann. Mary Ann had been transported to Australia in 1831, but she disappeared without a trace soon after arriving. The identification of her remains finally brought closure to her family, and it also shed light on the harsh conditions that convicts faced during the early years of European settlement in Australia.
In another case, researchers were able to use skeletal remains found in a shipwreck off the coast of New South Wales to identify a group of convicts who had escaped from the notorious Norfolk Island penal colony in the 1840s. The convicts had been on a small boat that capsized during a storm, and all of them drowned. The identification of their remains helped to fill in the gaps in the historical record of the Norfolk Island penal colony, and it also provided a glimpse into the lives of these desperate men who were trying to escape from their oppressive circumstances.
The bones found in Australia's historic shipwrecks are not only a reminder of the past, but they are also a valuable tool for solving crimes and shedding light on the lives of people who lived and died centuries ago.
