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Archaeology in Newfoundland and
Labrador 1997
Edited by K. Nelmes
Investigation at the St. Anthony Bight Site (EiAV-1), August 1997
David Reader
In late August, 1997, a local
resident of the community of St. Anthony Bight on the northeastern tip of
the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland found a dense concentration of bone
which he and the RCMP first believed to be of human origin. Subsequent
identification of the bone showed that it was seal, and the Culture and
Heritage Division, St. John's, requested that the author briefly
investigate the location for archaeological site remains. The author and
one assistant visited the site location and met with the man on whose
property the site was located, on 31 August, 1997.
The site is specifically
located about 15-20 metres back from the shoreline, on a low, relatively
flat area of land which is at the base of a gradually rising slope leading
up to the main part of the community. The site is bordered by a large area
of gravel fill, up to 2-3 metres high to the west, and small fishing
stages to the east. The owner said the immediate area had been filled with
gravel in the recent past in addition to previous sub-surface disturbance
by heavy machinery.
We stayed at the site for
approximately an hour, examining soil profiles which resulted from backhoe
cuts by the owner. About 28 m² of the site had been apparently destroyed
by the backhoe digging in the week before our arrival. Estimated intact
size of the site is likely in the area of 100-150 m². Faunal
bone––most of it seeming to be seal––and square-headed wrought
iron nails, fragments of ceramics, and other pieces of corroded,
unidentifiable iron were noticed in situ in a distinct buried
cultural deposit. In addition, we cut a controlled perpendicular profile
to the backhoe cut, confirming that intact archaeological deposits still
existed.
Vertical stratigraphy at the
disturbed edge of the site was as follows:
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0-15 cm DBS
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Sod and gravel fill.
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15-35 cm
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Cultural level; most
of the noticed ceramics, kaolin pipe fragments and iron from this
level; most of the faunal bone from the very bottom few cm of this
level.
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35-40 cm
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Natural deposition.
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40-55 cm
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Fine sand, natural
deposit.
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>55 cm
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Coarse-grained sand,
natural deposit.
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The faunal bone 'lens' was
situated within the bottom few centimetres of the cultural level and was
continuous, yet thin. The underlying shell level definitely appears to
have been naturally deposited on top of an underlying active beach,
sometime before European occupation at this location. The cultural level
itself, at least abutting the edge of the disturbed area, seems to be part
of an extensive midden deposit. No subsurface or surface-visible
indications of any type of structures were noted. No brick or wood
fragments were noted within the exposed areas of the midden deposit.
Faunal bone was not collected
in the field. However, we did identify some elements as representing
primarily seal species, in addition to fish vertebrae, and possible bovine
and carnivore incisors. A small number of wrought iron nails and ceramic
fragments were collected and are currently in storage at the Bird Cove
Interpretation Centre, where the author was conducting other
archaeological work at the time of the St. Anthony Bight site call.
However, a brief examination of the ceramic fragments collected suggests
at least a possible eighteenth century French occupation at this location,
based on the presence of what appear to be a few small French faience
ceramic fragments. To be positive of the site's cultural affiliation(s), a
more thorough investigation is recommended to expose as yet undisturbed
portions of the site.
The owner did say that he had
plans to use his backhoe to dig up additional areas, which appear to
contain undisturbed areas of this archaeological site.
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