Mon, Jun 04, 2012
Ointment Pot May Have Contained Anti-Freckle Cream
It was well known that Amelia Earhart had freckles ... and that she was not particularly happy having them. So when researchers from TIGHAR, The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery hoping to solve the mystery of Earhart's' disappearance 75 years ago, found fragments of an ointment pot similar to one sold containing anti-freckle cream in about that time period on Nikumaroro Island, they hoped the find would help bolster the theory that she and navigator Fred Noonan had been castaways on the remote island after their plane went down.
Discovery News reports that the jar fragments were found together on Nikumaroro Island in the southwestern Pacific republic of Kiribati. When pieced together, they are very similar to a pot sold early in the 20th century containing Dr. C. H. Berry's Freckle Ointment ... which was 'guaranteed to make freckles fade." The concoction was said to be about 11 percent mercury. The TIGHAR team collected the artifacts, along with others indicating the presence of a man and a woman being marooned on the small island, during nine archaeological expeditions to the coral atoll they believe to be where Earhart and Noonan spent their last days.
In the 1940s, skeletal remains along with part of a man's shoe, part of a woman's shoe, a sextant box, and other evidence of a makeshift camp were discovered on Nikumaroro, but those artifacts were lost, according to TIGHAR's Ric Gillespie. And, the site where they were found also had evidence of other temporary inhabitants of the island, so the find is not conclusive. Still, there is enough evidence to suggest there was at one time a man and a woman stranded on the island to make the TIGHAR team believe such a scenario occurred. Whether it was Earhart and Noonan is still the open question.
Nikumaroro was known as Gardner Island at the time of Earhart's flight, and was on the navigation line described by her in her final in-flight radio transmission.
More News
Aero Linx: Model Aeronautical Association of Australia MAAA clubs are about fun flying, camaraderie and community. For over 75 years, the MAAA has been Australia’s largest fl>[...]
Touchdown Zone Lighting Two rows of transverse light bars located symmetrically about the runway centerline normally at 100 foot intervals. The basic system extends 3,000 feet alon>[...]
“Discovery and innovation are central to our mission at Virgin Galactic. We’re excited to build on our successful record of facilitating scientific experiments in subor>[...]
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
Student Pilot Reported That During Rotation, “All Of A Sudden The Back Of The Plane Kicked To The Right..." Analysis: The student pilot reported that during rotation, “>[...]