| The Results of the Archaeological Digs at Grand-Pré in 2008 |
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The Results of the Archaeological Digs at Grand-Pré in 2008October 21, 2008Grand-Pré, October 21, 2008 – The annual Grand-Pré Archaeological Field School directed by Jonathan Fowler took place this year in May and June. This is an undergraduate course that involves three weeks of digging and sifting at the historic site, followed by three weeks of lab work to identify and preserve the material uncovered. Sponsored by Parks Canada, Saint Mary’s University and the Société Promotion Grand-Pré, this educational project was initiated in 2001. One of the main objectives of these archaeological excavations has been to locate the foundations of Saint-Charles-des-Mines Church, which was both the spiritual and geographic centre of the original Acadian village. Lieutenant-Colonel John Winslow was the officer from Massachusetts in charge of the operations at Grand-Pré in the fall of 1755. Based on his diary and other documents, we know that the church was turned into an arms depot and prison at the time of the Deportation. Winslow’s soldiers built a palisade of wooden pickets around the church, the cemetery, the priest’s house, and two other dwellings. Archaeologists have not yet uncovered evidence of this palisade that formed the perimeter of the makeshift fort used by Winslow’s troops from mid-August to late December of 1755. Unless there are significant financial and human resources, archaeological digs progress very slowly. Consequently, students studying with Jonathan Fowler at Grand-Pré are only able to undertake very small projects during their three weeks in the field. The first task that awaited the ten students this year was to continue the excavation of the footprint of a cellar discovered in 2001. This has been a slow process since it has involved careful removal and sifting of almost two feet (60 cm) of earth in order to reach the pre-1755 period. Located next to the memorial church, this 15 square foot (4.5 square metre) cellar is thought to be part of a much larger Acadian building which appears to have been destroyed by fire sometime between 1734 and 1760. Digging in this spot will continue again next year. Thus far, the most interesting artefacts uncovered from the Acadian period in the cellar include large fragments of wine bottles, a silver cuff-link, a French coin minted in Metz in 1711, a British 1734 half-penny, and several portions of a heavy ceramic bowl made of Anglo-American red-clay pottery imported from New England. Unfortunately this cellar was heavily disturbed by treasure hunters and antiquarian researchers a century ago, who removed portions of its stone retaining wall. The students also focused on a spot near the Herbin Cross. Test excavations in this area are being done in order to determine the boundaries of the old cemetery. In 1909, John Frederick Herbin erected a large stone cross to mark where he had reason to believe Saint-Charles-des-Mines cemetery was located. Digs carried out by Parks Canada in 1982 proved that he was correct. This summer, the students discovered unexpectedly the tops of six or seven grave shafts. Judging from the size, at least three of these are children’s graves. Although there is no question of excavating the graves themselves, their location could be marked in a respectful manner since they are part of the human story of Grand-Pré. “With the proper equipment and financial resources, it would be easy enough,” says Jonathan Fowler, “to remove the top layer of soil in order to find the exact boundaries of the cemetery.” For the moment, however, one can only indicate the approximate area encompassed by the cemetery (see map by Jonathan Fowler). The students conducted another test excavation not far from the graves that were discovered this summer. This excavation revealed evidence of a hearth which included food waste, a hatchet, melted glass, musket balls, lead waste, a fork, and a spoon. “This was a very surprising discovery,” says Fowler, “since one would not expect to find a hearth so close to grave sites.” He suggests that it may well be related to the activities of Winslow’s troops since they were living inside the palisade. During their final week in the field, the students moved to the large field located behind the new Visitors’ Centre. They dug two “test trenches” where Parks Canada archeologists Rob Ferguson and Christophe Rivet had carried out geophysical surveys in order to locate promising sites. One of the trenches revealed what appears to be the hearth of a dwelling. Further excavations in this area will continue in May 2009 during next year’s Archaeological Field School. The role of archaeology is particularly important at Grand-Pré since the original settlement was destroyed. With the exception of the dykes, tangible Acadian heritage in this area is hidden in the ground. Artefacts and other clues unearthed by archaeologists are gradually opening up new windows into the past.
MAP of Grand-Pré National Historic Site by Jonathan Fowler showing the possible boundaries of Saint-Charles-des-Mines cemetery.
PHOTO : Sifting soil during the archaeological digs at Grand-Pré National Historic Site in June 2008 (Jonathan Fowler) For further information, contact: Sally Ross The Société Promotion Grand-Pré is a non-profit organization representing the Acadian community that collaborates with Parks Canada to ensure the development and integrity of Grand-Pré National Historic Site. Contact: Victor Tétrault |
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