Do fundo do mar... Sea bottom
Friday, April 15, 2005
Lord Nelson's Battle of the Nile heroes rise again after 207 years
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The Scotsman
April 14, 2005
"It is well within the realm of possibility that the DNA could be used to trace back the descendants and relatives of these people and perhaps give them a proper burial back home. It may not have the same emotional impact that it might otherwise have, given the time that’s passed, but it would still be a nice gesture" - Dr Adrian Linacre, forensic pathology lecturer, Strathclyde University
The remains of sailors and soldiers who fought alongside Admiral Horatio Nelson in one of his most decisive naval victories over the French have been discovered off the north coast of Egypt.
The bodies were found on an island in Abu Qir bay, east of Alexandria, where Nelson inflicted a catastrophic defeat on Napoleon’s French fleet during the Battle of the Nile.
Paulo Gallo, an archaeologist, had been excavating the island for Greek and Roman artefacts when he discovered the remains of the 30 British sailors and soldiers, some dating to the 1798 battle and others to 1801, when Britain landed an expeditionary force in the area.
Among the remains was the body of James Russell, a commander in the navy who served with Nelson and was identified by his uniform with the help of Nick Slope, a British archaeologist and naval historian.
Russell - the only one to be buried in full uniform - and the other unidentified bodies will be reburied on Monday in a ceremony at a British Commonwealth military cemetery in Alexandria.
A descendant of Russell and the commanding officer of the visiting British warship Chatham will attend.
Nelson hunted for Napoleon’s fleet across the Mediterranean and took the French by surprise on 1 August, 1798, off the Egyptian coast at Abu Qir.
According to Dr Pieter Van Der Merwe, a historian at the National Maritime Museum, the battle represents a pivotal moment in British naval history.
"Nelson had been sent down there purely on a scouting expedition, just to see what Napoleon was doing, because the British navy had already been thrown out of the Mediterranean.
"When they found out what had been happening, with Malta being taken, the squadron was boosted and they found the French landed off the Egyptian coast at Abu Qir.
"They had set themselves in what they thought was an impregnable line, but Nelson’s ships managed to work around the line and attacked them from the coastal side, effectively blind-siding them.
"It was total annihilation. The French didn’t expect to be attacked from that side. Nelson’s men just picked them off like bottles balanced on a wall.
"Essentially, it marooned the French army in Egypt and ended Napoleon’s campaign, scuppered his plans to take India and sent him back to France."
But the battle was bloody and Britain lost 218 men, but no vessels, during the fight, which lasted until the next day.
The French lost 1,400 men and most of their fleet was destroyed or captured.
After the Battle of the Nile, French forces in Egypt were cut off and surrendered to the British in 1801.
"I’m not surprised that bodies have been found in this sort of location," added Dr Van Der Merwe. "There were a lot of deaths during the battle and given that it happened so close to the coast, they would have almost certainly been buried on land rather than at sea."
Very little in the way of first-hand accounts survives from the battle, as the ship carrying the dispatches on the engagement back to Britain was caught by a French battleship and all mail and documents confiscated.
Dr Adrian Linacre, a lecturer in forensic pathology with Strathclyde University, said that the conditions around Abu Qir would be perfect for preserving the remains of the men.
"Obviously, after more than 200 years, we’re going to be talking about skeletal remains, but the conditions down there will mean that there is likely to be plenty of DNA to work with.
"The sandy, dry environment, coupled with the cool temperatures underground mean that bacteria cannot flourish. It is this bacteria that destroys DNA. Also, given the fact that these men all came from within a closed community, there will be records of who they were.
"Therefore, it is well within the realm of possibility that the DNA could be used to trace back the descendants and relatives of these people and perhaps give them a proper burial back home.
"It may not have the same emotional impact that it might otherwise have, given the time that’s passed, but it would still be a nice gesture."
Dr Linacre also expressed surprise that the commander’s uniform survived the burial: "Invariably, uniforms are made of natural fibres, especially wool and cotton, and so are very vulnerable to the effects of bacteria. It really surprises me that the uniform has lasted so long. I can only imagine that the desiccation in the area resulted in its survival."
____
www.dofundodomar.blogspot.com
The Scotsman
April 14, 2005
"It is well within the realm of possibility that the DNA could be used to trace back the descendants and relatives of these people and perhaps give them a proper burial back home. It may not have the same emotional impact that it might otherwise have, given the time that’s passed, but it would still be a nice gesture" - Dr Adrian Linacre, forensic pathology lecturer, Strathclyde University
The remains of sailors and soldiers who fought alongside Admiral Horatio Nelson in one of his most decisive naval victories over the French have been discovered off the north coast of Egypt.
The bodies were found on an island in Abu Qir bay, east of Alexandria, where Nelson inflicted a catastrophic defeat on Napoleon’s French fleet during the Battle of the Nile.
Paulo Gallo, an archaeologist, had been excavating the island for Greek and Roman artefacts when he discovered the remains of the 30 British sailors and soldiers, some dating to the 1798 battle and others to 1801, when Britain landed an expeditionary force in the area.
Among the remains was the body of James Russell, a commander in the navy who served with Nelson and was identified by his uniform with the help of Nick Slope, a British archaeologist and naval historian.
Russell - the only one to be buried in full uniform - and the other unidentified bodies will be reburied on Monday in a ceremony at a British Commonwealth military cemetery in Alexandria.
A descendant of Russell and the commanding officer of the visiting British warship Chatham will attend.
Nelson hunted for Napoleon’s fleet across the Mediterranean and took the French by surprise on 1 August, 1798, off the Egyptian coast at Abu Qir.
According to Dr Pieter Van Der Merwe, a historian at the National Maritime Museum, the battle represents a pivotal moment in British naval history.
"Nelson had been sent down there purely on a scouting expedition, just to see what Napoleon was doing, because the British navy had already been thrown out of the Mediterranean.
"When they found out what had been happening, with Malta being taken, the squadron was boosted and they found the French landed off the Egyptian coast at Abu Qir.
"They had set themselves in what they thought was an impregnable line, but Nelson’s ships managed to work around the line and attacked them from the coastal side, effectively blind-siding them.
"It was total annihilation. The French didn’t expect to be attacked from that side. Nelson’s men just picked them off like bottles balanced on a wall.
"Essentially, it marooned the French army in Egypt and ended Napoleon’s campaign, scuppered his plans to take India and sent him back to France."
But the battle was bloody and Britain lost 218 men, but no vessels, during the fight, which lasted until the next day.
The French lost 1,400 men and most of their fleet was destroyed or captured.
After the Battle of the Nile, French forces in Egypt were cut off and surrendered to the British in 1801.
"I’m not surprised that bodies have been found in this sort of location," added Dr Van Der Merwe. "There were a lot of deaths during the battle and given that it happened so close to the coast, they would have almost certainly been buried on land rather than at sea."
Very little in the way of first-hand accounts survives from the battle, as the ship carrying the dispatches on the engagement back to Britain was caught by a French battleship and all mail and documents confiscated.
Dr Adrian Linacre, a lecturer in forensic pathology with Strathclyde University, said that the conditions around Abu Qir would be perfect for preserving the remains of the men.
"Obviously, after more than 200 years, we’re going to be talking about skeletal remains, but the conditions down there will mean that there is likely to be plenty of DNA to work with.
"The sandy, dry environment, coupled with the cool temperatures underground mean that bacteria cannot flourish. It is this bacteria that destroys DNA. Also, given the fact that these men all came from within a closed community, there will be records of who they were.
"Therefore, it is well within the realm of possibility that the DNA could be used to trace back the descendants and relatives of these people and perhaps give them a proper burial back home.
"It may not have the same emotional impact that it might otherwise have, given the time that’s passed, but it would still be a nice gesture."
Dr Linacre also expressed surprise that the commander’s uniform survived the burial: "Invariably, uniforms are made of natural fibres, especially wool and cotton, and so are very vulnerable to the effects of bacteria. It really surprises me that the uniform has lasted so long. I can only imagine that the desiccation in the area resulted in its survival."
____
www.dofundodomar.blogspot.com
