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The Black Rock's final resting place

Theory 1: The Island emerged from underneathe it during one of its "moves" - as in "There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3".

• The Black Rock was at sea, location to be determined, when the Island rose out of the sea below it in the arrival phase of a move. It is unknown what the effect of the impact was on the ship. It does not appear to have been crushed as if something hit it hard from below; it does look more as if the ship was moving forward at a respectable rate of speed and the stationary Island rose under it, bringing the ship to a sudden stop and ripping out its keel.

This was not the Island's first move, but it is the first move affecting people we know about.

Theory 2: Tsunami

• It is possible that the Black Rock could have landed there through a tidal wave or tsunami. It could have simply carried the ship there and dumped it in far into the Island. Such a huge Tsunami could have also wiped out any indigenous population at that time, and would also explain why the rest of the statue is missing.

Counter-evidence

• The ship is way to high above sea level to have been put there by a tidal wave.

Who was on board

Theory 1: Slaves

• Slaves - we see the skeletons in chains during the Losties missions to the ship.
• Bea's fore bearers - if there were African slaves on board, she is the only person of African descent on the island.
  • Her name Bea Klugh (pronounced "clue") seems to imply something pretty significant.
  • Not exactly. Adam was killed in the abortive raid on the survivors' camp and Nancy was a former Tailie who was last seen on Hydra Island.

Theory 2: Criminals

• Criminals - would also be wearing chains, and criminals used to be sent from the U.K. to Australia. Some of the original convict ships from the U.K. left from Portsmouth [1]. According to Wikipedia, the last convict ship landed in Australia in 1868 [2].

Theory 3: People we know

• Jacob - his clothes and hairstyle are consistent with a ship's captain from this period.
• Richard - the first time Ben meets him he is wearing clothes very similar to Jacob's old style sailor clothing.
• The crew members of The Black Rock apparently found a kind of fountain of youth, which explains why Richard never ages.
• Jacob is the captain of the ship. The Others follows his orders because he is still their commander. He somewhat "phased out" from reality, becoming a ghost. He is forever trapped in his cabin in the jungle, where this anomaly takes place. He knows that it is the 21st century now, but he can not cope with modern technology, even Locke's flashlight.

The fates of the people on board

Theory 1: All dead

• Dead, and some of them are still in there The Brig.

Theory 2: Not all dead ...

• Dead, but brought back to life in the form of apparitions like Christian Shephard and the apparition of Yemi. Richard at least is one of them (as evidenced by his clothes the first time he meets Ben). Richard may be the only one.
• Jacob - his clothes and hairstyle are consistent with a ships captain from this period.
• Richard - the first time Ben meets him he is wearing clothes very similar to Jacob's old-timey sailor clothes.
• The crew members of The Black Rock apparently found a kind of fountain of youth, which explains why Richard never ages.
• Jacob is the captain of the ship. The Others follows his orders, because he is still their commander. He somewhat "phased out" from reality becoming ghost. He is forever trapped in his cabin in jungle, where this anomaly takes place. He don't know, that is 21st century now - so that's why he is scared by modern technology (Locke's flashlight).

Theory 3: Undead

• The crew realize that the island can heal their diseases, injuries and stop aging. So they decided to stay here. The island keeps them alive to protect itself from outsiders. At some point, however, someone discovered/left the island and ever since then, the Others - the original crew of the Black Rock, defectors from Dharma, and then their off-island recruits have been protecting it.
• Jacob - his clothes and hairstyle are consistent with a ships captain from this period.
• Richard - the first time Ben meets him he is wearing clothes very similar to Jacob's old-timey sailor clothes.
• The crew members of The Black Rock apparently found a kind of fountain of youth, which explains why Richard never ages.
• Jacob is the captain of the ship. The Others follows his orders, because he is still their commander. He somewhat "phased out" from reality becoming ghost. He is forever trapped in his cabin in jungle, where this anomaly takes place. He don't know, that is 21st century now - so that's why he is scared by modern technology (Locke's flashlight).
• Admiral Anderson MacCutcheon - We see Charles Widmore drinking MacCutcheon Whiskey when he is interviewing Desmond and again when Ben breaks into his flat. When he is with Desmond, he explains that Admiral MacCutcheon was in the Navy and nobody won more medals before him or since. He said that at the end of his career, he retired to the islands. So perhaps, MacCutcheon captained the Black Rock and sailed it to the island. The information Widmore knows about MacCutcheon is just another part of his obsession with the island.

Theory 4: Descendants?

• If they had descendants, presumably these people would have an English accent. Note: The Others have American accents.

• Bea's fore bearers - if there were African slaves on board, she is the only person of African descent on the island.
  • Her name Bea Klugh (pronounced "clue") seems to imply something pretty significant.

History

• The final voyage of the Black Rock, which was thought to be lost at sea following its departure from Portsmouth, England, March 22, 1845 on a purported trading mission to the Kingdom of Siam.on a purported trading mission to the Kingdom of Siam.

• The ship's ledger was discovered in 1852 among the artifacts of pirates on Île Sainte-Marie, an island off the coast of Madagascar that at the time was a notorious pirate haven.

Dynamite

• Going strictly by the timeline established in the show, we know that dynamite had not been invented (1866) at the time the ship was lost (left England on final voyage in 1845) [3]. Certainly in the 1860s it took new inventions (especially ones that were volatile) a long time to become widely used.
• Assuming that actual time travel is not possible it could be assumed that the ship was used either as a storage facility by people arriving at the island, possibly miners who discovered/ended up on the island.

• • But why would they risk carrying it all the way up to the Black Rock in the middle of the island?

Multiple voyages

The following is based on the premise that the Black Rock sailed more often than is currently reflected in the Lost mythos.

• First voyage
  • 1845: Black Rock leaves Portsmouth; it had to have some type of cargo; no captain wants to sail with an empty bottom.
  • 1845 - 1846?: Black Rock sails around Africa past the Cape of Good Hope
  • 1847?: Black Rock departs Papua New Guinea for England via Cape Horn. Prevailing winds made it easier for sailing ships to sail east to return to England from Australia and the vicinity.
  • 1848?: Black Rock returns to England
• Second voyage
  • 1848?: Black Rock departs England
  • 1848 - 1849?: Black Rock sails around Africa past the Cape of Good Hope
  • 1850?: Journal stolen
  • 1852: Journal found.
• Other voyages?
• Last voyage
  • 1867?: Black Rock departs England
  • 1868?: Black Rock is stranded on the Island

• Notes
  • 1866: Dynamite invented.
  • 1967: Last shipment of convicts for Western Australia departs Portsmouth, England
  • 1868: Last shipment of convicts arrives in Western Australia

Additional

• The note on the blast door map doesn't necessarily mean that Magnus Hanso is buried on the Island. The note says: "Known final resting place of Magnus Hanso/Black Rock". The slash between "Magnus Hanso" and "Black Rock", however, stands grammatically for some insecurity - "and/or". If it indeed is the known resting place of Magnus Hanso and the Black Rock, there would be no reason not to be entirely clear about it.

• The Black Rock is depicted in the mural of the Swan station.