As temperatures rise, communities around the province often see an influx of new faces.

At the end of June, Burin Peninsula residents welcomed a unique group of visitors: a team of archaeologists from Memorial University.

Led by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences’ associate professor Dr. Catherine Losier, a field school of 10 students and three teaching assistants carried out a four-week excavation of a historic site on Turpin’s Island.

Unearthing history

Located in Little St. Lawrence, the now-deserted Turpin’s Island was once occupied by fishermen from the Basque Country, France, England and Newfoundland families.

Extending from the east side of Little St. Lawrence harbour, the small peninsula remains shaped by its history, with traces of ancient buildings still defining the landscape.

Guided by ancient maps and modern-day drone footage, the team set out to bridge the past and present by recovering hundreds of artifacts, some dating back as far as the 17th century.

Through the discovery of stoneware and ceramics, Dr. Losier hopes to deepen our understanding of the region’s significance to the salt-cod fishery and the Atlantic trade networks of the 16th through 20th centuries.

“The goal this year is to excavate some new test pits in the area to date features and identify locations of high archaeological potential,” said Dr. Losier. “These test pits function like windows into the past. Some of the artifacts we’ve discovered, like the ceramics, are extremely good at helping us date the previous occupations of the island.”

Dr. Losier says the assemblage of artifacts in the photo above was found in a feature associated with the occupation of the site by the Newman and Co. fishing enterprise that maintained a fishing premise on Turpin’s Island between 1784 and 1810.

“We can see shards of an English wine glass bottle, window glass, English stoneware and pipe stems, but perhaps the most interesting aspect of the assemblage is the large quantity of fragments of hand-painted, mocha and slipped decorated pearlware objects manufactured in England between 1780 and 1820, which match the period of occupation of Turpin’s Island by Newman and Co.,” she said.

Real-world skills

For students, the experience marked an invaluable real-world opportunity to apply skills they first developed in the classroom.

“In the Introduction to Applied Archaeology classes, students learn the theory behind field work,” said Dr. Losier. “But by the end of their time on Turpin’s Island, they know how to work as field archaeologists.”

Throughout the summertime session, students honed a range of essential archaeological skills, including excavation methods, surveying and mapping.

On poor weather days, the team worked in the lab to analyze and catalogue the various artifacts they discovered in the test pits.

Student Charlotte Cameron describes the shift going from the classroom to the field.

“Coming out to the site, you know what’s expected of you,” Ms. Cameron said. “But putting it into practice can be a little tricky at first. As a whole though, our group has been picking up on the skills and techniques of excavating quite well.”

Community-focused

The archaeologists have made community engagement a key priority of the project.

Residents of Little St. Lawrence were invited to a Community Day at the site, where they could ask questions and see the field school’s activities first-hand.

Local residents also stopped the students in grocery stores, the soccer field and on the beach to share their own connections to the region.

“One of the comments that comes back quite often is, ‘Wow! We didn’t know all this was here when we were kids,’” said Dr. Losier. “People have been very interested and very grateful.”

“We’ve talked to people who shared how they used to go fishing here and find odd things on the beach, never thinking they could be artifacts,” Ms. Cameron added. “We’ve heard so many stories and folktales about the area. Speaking with the locals adds so much value to the work that we’re doing.”

To culminate their work, the team hosted a community engagement session on July 17 at the Little St. Lawrence Community Centre.

There, the team presented the first and exclusive results of the field season to community residents.

Twenty-six people attended the presentation and observed some of the unearthed artifacts.

For Dr. Losier, welcoming the public into the project’s narrative is crucial.

“Community engagement is one of the first objectives,” she said. “We’re nothing if we don’t share with the public. And truly, for our students, learning how to live and speak with the community is one of the most important things they learn.”

To learn more about the history of Turpin’s Island and the ongoing excavation of the site at Little St. Lawrence, visit Catherine Losier’s projects website and blog, The Cod Road.