Category Archives: Pointe-Aux-Vieux Excavation 2010

News Flash!

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I have some exciting news to report this week…

The process has begun to designate Pointe-Aux-Vieux as a protected site under the Province’s Archaeology Act.

Out of the hundreds of archaeological sites on Prince Edward Island, less than a handful of them have been designated protected sites. If the process goes through, the Pointe-Aux-Vieux site, which rests on Crown land, will be protected from construction and other disturbances. Not only is this important for the physical protection of the site, it also raises awareness of Archaeology on Prince Edward Island and its important role in understanding Island History.

Others have also reported on this ‘newsworthy’ event. Check out the Media page for links to articles from the CBC and the Journal Pioneer, including an interview with Dr. Helen Kristmanson on the significance of the Pointe-Aux-Vieux site and the protection process.

Off to Louisbourg on Official Business

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As part of our research for Pointe-Aux-Vieux, I recently accompanied Provincial Archaeologist, Dr. Helen Kristmanson to Fortress Louisbourg in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. We met with Head Archaeologist, Rebecca Duggan and Archaeology Collections Manager, Heidi Moses to view the fieldwork, collections, and historical reconstructions at this Parks Canada National Historic site, with the hopes it would contribute to our understanding of the findings from PAV.

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Pointe-Aux-Vieux dig inspires float

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The Port Hill Women’s Institute float in the Tyne Valley parade was inspired by the dig at Pointe-Aux-Vieux!!

p.s. the float won 2nd place 🙂

photo credit to Andrew Ramsay, who scrambled to get a shot as the float went by

Beautiful beads & the last 2 dig days

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It’s like finding a Straight Pin in a Dirtpit!

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Pointe-Aux-Vieux July 7, 8, & 9 2010:

 Swelter

Pointe-Aux-Vieux felt the heat in July. Sweltering, is the only way to describe how it felt for a few days when the temperature seemed to reach 40 + degrees with the humidex. It was gorgeous weather to be sitting poolside with a pina colada. However there is nothing gorgeous about digging for 7 + hours a day in that heat, covered in sunscreen, bug-spray, sweat, and dirt. Trust me.

 I usually really enjoy working outside, it beats sitting at a desk anyday. But digging is no picnic (although we do have picnics for lunch).  Working on a dig involves a lot of strenuous physical labour, which as intense as it is, I find to be satisfying work. However, there were a few days I would have gladly preferred to be in an air-conditioned office. I had to focus on troweling and not let my mind wander to thoughts of lying in a freezer, in an air-conditioned room, drinking hundreds of iced beverages. Pointe-Aux-Vieux is on the water, but the brilliant idea of cooling off in the ocean was nixed, when it was discovered that the water temperature was near boiling!