Iconic Arctic Shipwrecks, Archaeology, and Museum Narratives

• Published in: International Journal of Nautical Archaeology
• Main Author: Wickler, Stephen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2019
• Subjects: VDP::Humanities: 000::Archeology: 090; VDP::Humaniora: 000::Arkeologi: 090; Arctic; iconic shipwreck; medieval period; museum narratives; polar ship; Antarctic; Canada; North Pole; Norway; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10037/16594; https://doi.org/10.1111/1095-9270.12354

Source at https://doi.org/10.1111/1095-9270.12354 . This article reflects on three Arctic shipwrecks currently being reclaimed for future exhibition. Two are icons of polar exploration. Maud was built for Roald Amundsen's North Pole expedition (1917–1925) and Belgica was used in the first Antarctic overwintering expedition (1897–1899). The salvage of Maud in Canada and the ship's return to Norway in 2018 was privately financed. Raising Belgica has been the goal of a Belgian non‐profit organization. The third is a medieval Norwegian wreck excavated in 2017 with community funding. The role of each ship as icon and archaeological heritage is assessed and framed within a broader discussion of museum narratives.