Our team is still on site at archaeology dig at Fort Saint Louis National Historic Site, a seventeenth-century fur trade post situated in an Mi'kmaq coastal landscape.
Archaeology action shot! Wesley lifts our most complete clay tile this year and stows it safely in its own container. Next it will head to the lab to be cleaned and repacked. We re-use pill bottles for smaller, delicate finds too.
Photo 1: Katie Cottreau-Robins extracting a sample of charcoal from a deep corner of the unit. Charcoal can be sent for carbon-14 dating and give additional insight into the occupation period.
Photo 2: Volunteers Chris and Marian working away on two areas of Operation J.
A quick update, the team was rained out today. They hope to start finding artifacts this week.
Photo 1: SMU grad student Wesley flying his drone for some overhead images of our various excavation units
We are in the last few days of the excavation project now. The crew focuses on the final recording of Operation F.
Wesley shoots numerous images of the midden feature for a photogrammetry model. The red hue is from the canopy above.
Courtney returned this year to work once more in the midden feature. What awaits??
We are near the end of our field project. A time for final thoughts and notes for Liz.
Its our last week on site so lots of final mapping and recording. John prepares a soil profile drawing at Operation H.
Vanessa and and Liz prepare to do a planview of the Operation J unit using a helpful mapping grid tool.
Heather of AFN joined us again this year. Today she is working in an area where we uncovered a new stone wall.
The excavation Operation J 9, 10 and 11 is nearly complete. We have a defined stone wall with a builders trench.
Tanya had a great day in the midden feature. A range of ceramics were excavated.
Research awaits to identify the different glazes and vessels coming from the midden feature.
Tanya is working in the midden today . We are starting to get quite deep now and the artifact density is picking up.
A very nice definable nail. We have a stone wall nearby so such artifacts are expected.
Excavation continues in an area of the site noted for its evidence of the 1641 fire. See the burn layer coming through the soil?
Margaret joined us again this year. Today she traces the burn layer across the pit. We gathered two charcoal samples for analysis.
Another beautiful day for the public dig. Keith was signed up last year and was delighted to rejoin the excavation efforts in 2019.
Liz uncovered a new type of earthenware ceramic this week. Red body with a bright white tin glaze. Its a small piece but includes the base, side and rim.
Today we began the public archaeology program. Field gear awaits the arrival of the morning's participants.
Our community partner on the Fort St. Louis project , the Cape Sable Historical Society, came by today to check in on progress at the site. Members will participate in the public dig this week.
Vanessa and Liz work away at Operation J. The artifacts are steady and Feature 2 wall is emerging.
Another artifact for identification. A bit of animal bone.
A beautiful day at Fort St. Louis and Wow was it warm. Lots of water on site and we slowed the pace a little.
Marion joined the crew again. This is her third year excavating at the site. She is taking a few minutes to see what is happening at the other dig unit and discuss her findings underway at Operation F.
Another beautiful day on the coast of Nova Scotia discovering history
A beautiful and warm day at the Fort St. Louis dig project so, as sod is being removed from new excavation units, the canopy is up. Shade please!
The team is back this summer, building on work done in 2017 and 2018, an archaeological excavation is taking place at Fort Saint-Louis in Port La Tour, Shelburne County. Founded by Charles de la Tour, this 17th century fur trade post depicts early encounters and early trade relations between French settlers and the Mi’kmaq in the region known by the Mi’kmaq as Kespukwitk.
As we end the 2018 Fort Saint Louis field season, a big thank you is extended to all who contributed to the excavation. Heather R. of AFN was with us to the end. A natural excavator, we hope she will join us next year!
We are in the last hours of site preparations before closing everything up. Visitors pop by to have one more look at excavations.
This wall was uncovered during the public dig 4 weeks ago. As anticipated, it continues from the wall we found last year.
