The skeletal remains recovered from Pandora were confined within the perimeter of the ship's hull remains. Much of the skeletal material was found in relatively close contact buried in an apparently stable, anaerobic environment consisting primarily of coral sand, shell grit and various biological colonisations. Considering a significant superior portion of the ship had almost completely deteriorated, and the wreck itself is within several layers of sediment build up, it is almost certain that the individuals recovered were somehow trapped below the main deck when the ship sank. Their bodies were obviously not exposed to extensive dismemberment by large marine scavengers, such as sharks, while there was still soft tissue present. The remains were not subjected to dispersal by currents, or major fluctuations in weather during a period of two centuries. Wave action is also unlikely to have affected the remains. A surface wave height of approximately 10m would be required to create any significant agitation at the 30m depth of the wreck.
Considering these factors and that much of the remains themselves are in a state of exceptional preservation, it is a quite reasonable assumption that the skeletal material was buried in infiltrating silt and other materials (i.e. decomposing 'cargo') well before complete disintegration of the ship's surrounding hull took place. It is unlikely the skeletal remains would have survived over 200 years of salt water immersion in their current state of excellent preservation unless they had been rapidly placed in a stable environment.
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Last updated: Thu Mar 28 2002