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Amelia Earhart search begins anew on Tinian
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Posted on Nov 09 2004
The search for the remains of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart will continue this week on Tinian, as the CNMI Historic Preservation Office joins the Tinian Earhart Expedition Team lead by Jennings W. Bunn Jr.
Following a survey of the island in September 2003, the expedition team, through the assistance of the HPO, has obtained approval from a private landowner to permit earthmoving activities to search for remnants or material evidence related to Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan.
“The disappearance of Earhart is a worldwide mystery. Any bit of evidence to find her is worth it,” said HPO director Epiphanio Cabrera Jr. “We always want to explore the possibility of finding her, and if this project is successful, HPO wants to be able to see it and document it along with the expedition team.”
The land to be excavated belongs to Senate President Joaquin Adriano, who has given authorization to HPO to conduct reconnaissance survey, subsurface testing and earthmoving activities for the identification of the possible gravesite.
The expedition will take place Nov. 12-16, 2004. The public’s cooperation is highly solicited to maintain the integrity of the site.
The expedition is being undertaken under a memorandum of agreement between the expedition team and HPO.
Members of Bunn’s expedition team include a forensic osteologist, archaeologists, other professionals, and students from the University of Guam. HPO will be represented by Cabrera, staff archaeologist John Mark Joseph, historian Genevieve Cabrera, Historic Preservation specialist John Palacios, and Historic Preservation technicians Herman Tudela and John Castro.
HPO personnel will be on-site during the recovery efforts, and all cultural and historical material recovered during the undertaking will become the property of HPO and the CNMI government.
HPO is a division of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.
