| Acadian Recorder, 1919 |
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This article from a Halifax newspaper contains a description of early archaeological discoveries at Grand-Pré. It is an important source because the early diggers left no records of their work. Acadian Recorder, 8 March 1919, p.1. … To relieve monotony and start something, two young men, John Woodworth and Robert Duncan, living near Grand Pre Station, sallied forth more than forty years ago on an exploring expedition… In a pasture near the station, guided by tradition, and the hollow sound of the earth in one spot, they discovered and uncovered an ancient well. It had been covered with logs, on which had been placed enough earth to permit it to be ploughed over like the rest of the field. The well was cleaned out and yielded a quantity of old iron, including axe and hammer heads, bucket hoops, a piece of chain with a swivel in it, and a stout pocket knife. … The explorers carried their investigations further in the same field, and this time they exhumed a box that had apparently been used for burial purposes. … It contained a bone, or what was left of it; a hank of hair and a handful of dust. The box had become very soft from being in the wet earth so long, and could easily be cut through with a sharp knife. It was left on the station platform, and in a short time was practically all carried away by relic hunters. |