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Author Topic: Is the Seven Site the bones discovery site?  (Read 5693 times)

Ric Gillespie

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Is the Seven Site the bones discovery site?
« on: August 05, 2014, 09:23:42 AM »

Ted Campbell has some questions:

I agree that the seven site is where AE/FN finally set up camp but are the other clues satisfied by this assumption regarding the bones discovery e.g.
 
    Is the seven site 100 +- feet above the "ordinary high water spring"?
    Are there Ren trees at the seven site in the earlier photos?
    Was the area of the seven site un cleared?
    Were Kanawa trees in the area of the seven site - and is the seven site on "edge of the lagoon" ?
    Is the seven site approximately 2 miles away from a groove of coconut trees?
    Is the seven site separated from the coconut groove by an "impenetrable belt of bush"?
 
Now comes the later photos of the island:
 
    Do we see where Kanawa trees have been cut down along the edge of the lagoon?
    Do we see where a/many Ren tree(s) have been cut down  to make room for the planting of coconut  trees?
    Do we see a new groove of coconut trees going toward the "old growth" coconut trees?
    Has the "impenetrable belt of bush' been cleared?
 
Ric, what I am getting at is I think you've found where AE/FN finally ended up
on the island and survived for a period of time but I question if the seven site is were AE died.
'
If I were AE and I new I was close to death I'd try my damndest to get to a place that were I was comfortable, under a great tree, facing home and awaiting the final moments.
 
Ted Campbell
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: Is the Seven Site the bones discovery site?
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2014, 10:08:45 AM »


    Is the seven site 100 +- feet above the "ordinary high water spring"?

Not now, but it was then.  Aerial photos show that in the ensuing years the ocean beach at the Seven Site has "grown." The area where we've found artifacts is further inland now than it was in 1937/38.  At that time is was about 100 feet above ordinary high water spring tides (as evidenced by the vegetation line).


    Are there Ren trees at the seven site in the earlier photos?

It's not possible to identify specific tree species in the aerial photos but we can see that in 1937/38 the area where we have found artifacts was open forest.  "Ren" (tournafortia argentia) is a smallish tree (6 to 10 meters tall) that grows pretty much all over the island. It especially likes areas just inside the beachfront scaevola line.  There are Ren trees in the area where we have found artifacts but they are almost certainly not the same trees that were there 77 years ago.

    Was the area of the seven site un cleared?

The site is uncleared in the July 9, 1937 Lambrecht Photo and in the Dec. 1, 1938 New Zealand photos.  The next photo we have was taken June 20, 1941 and there has been extensive clearing in the beachfront area.  The area where we have found artifacts was still open forest at that time.

    Were Kanawa trees in the area of the seven site - and is the seven site on "edge of the lagoon" ?

Again, it is not possible to identify specific tree species in the aerial photos.  The area where we have found artifacts is about 100 meters from the lagoon shore.


    Is the seven site approximately 2 miles away from a groove of coconut trees?

I think you mean grove of coconut trees.  In 1940 there were only about five groves of mature coconut trees on the island.  All were up at the west end.  the closest to the Seven Site was roughly 2 miles away.


    Is the seven site separated from the coconut groove by an "impenetrable belt of bush"?

 No two points on the island are necessarily separated by impenetrable bush.  You can always just go out and walk along the beach.  That said, much the inland area between the Seven Site and the west end where the coconut trees were is impenetrable bush.


Now comes the later photos of the island:
 
    Do we see where Kanawa trees have been cut down along the edge of the lagoon?

We don't have a good shot of the lagoon shore in 1941.

    Do we see where a/many Ren tree(s) have been cut down  to make room for the planting of coconut  trees?

Can't tell.

    Do we see a new groove of coconut trees going toward the "old growth" coconut trees?

There was never a "groove" of trees.  The word is grove.  The planting at the Seven Site failed.

    Has the "impenetrable belt of bush' been cleared?

No.

 
Ric, what I am getting at is I think you've found where AE/FN finally ended up
on the island and survived for a period of time but I question if the seven site is were AE died.

I'm satisfied that the area where we've recovered artifact is where the bones were found. It fits Gallagher's description (such as it was) and we've found what appears to be the hole where the skull was buried and later dug up.

If I were AE and I new I was close to death I'd try my damndest to get to a place that were I was comfortable, under a great tree, facing home and awaiting the final moments.
 
Ted Campbell

We'll know where to look for you - but if I were close to death I don't think I'd be going much of anywhere.
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