So I'm just trying to nail this down: do you believe the skeleton was from the 2.5 year time period post-Maude and pre-settlement? Or do you believe it was there when Maude & co toured the island?
I accept that there was a skeleton there. I have no idea, nor I stress does anyone else have any idea when the person who owned it arrived except that it was prior to its discovery by the PISS settlers. Therefore given that even though the island was visited for short periods in 1892 (Arundel Settlement), 1929 (
Norwich City), 1937 PISS survey then various surveys in 1938 and then the settlement in 1939 which lasted until 1965 there is any number of plausible times. These are prior to 1892; between 1892 and 1929; between 1929 and 1937; then at at any time in the unoccupied months in each year from 1937 to 1939. Decay of the flesh and bone dispersal is fairly quick in that environment.
There was no proper excavation of the skeleton at the time so it is a mistake to claim that artifacts were found with it. All anyone can say with certainty is that at various times artifacts were found in the area where the skeleton was found. Some of which have their most likely source in the wanderings of the
Norwich City survivors, the PISS settlers and the inhabitants of the LORAN station and that doesn't rule out a possibility that some came from the Arundel settlement or a stray unrecorded visit. That is why it is important, as an archaeologist, for me to continually point out that none of those artifacts are clearly associated with either the skeleton or any other presence on the island. People will keep using them to create castles in the air then starting to believe that what they want to believe is what happened.
So take your pick and also remember that there is a long history of Pacific islander fishermen being carried out to sea and drifting for weeks at sea until they strike land. Gallagher was aware of Earhart's disappearance which is why he gave the skeleton more attention than it otherwise would have warranted - or to put it another way if Earhart hadn't been lost the skeleton would simply have been recorded and buried along with any of the skeletal material from the
Norwich City.