Sunday, July 11, 2010

We are moving!



In order to improve our website, we are proceeding to some changes. Visit us at our new address (http://www.publicarchaeologyexperience.wordpress.com/) or on our Facebook page!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Presentation of the Project


In 2004, 137 acres of land, formerly part of the historic Acadian village of Beaubassin from 1672 to 1750, were acquired by Parks Canada and protected the following year as a National Historic Site of Canada. Located on the Fort Lawrence Ridge, adjacent to the New-Brunswick – Nova-Scotia border, the lands also include Fort Lawrence National Historic Site (1750-1756), designated in 1926. The property encompasses a significant portion of the former Acadian village, including the ruins of the Acadian cemetery and Fort Lawrence. The architectural ruins and features of the village, burned in 1750, attest to the Acadian way of life and to the geopolitical struggle between France and England for the control of Canada.


The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada approved the following statement of commemoration for Beaubassin on June 25th 2008: “ A thriving Acadian settlement here became a pivotal site in the struggle between Great Britain and France for control of the Isthmus of Chignecto region. The village, under British rule since 1713, was burned by the French in 1750 to force the inhabitants into nearby French-controlled territory. The site’s extensive archaeological resources, which include remarkable glass and ceramic artefacts and charred building remains, reflect both the Acadian way of life and the destruction of this village. Beaubassin remains a silent witness to the clash of two empires for power in North America.”


In 2006, Parks Canada began work on the development of a management plan for the Chignecto Isthmus National Historic Sites, including Fort Lawrence and Beaubassin. At this time, local communities and organisations expressed a vivid interest and willingness to participate in the development of the sites, particularly Beaubassin. In 2007 and 2008, stakeholders of the Chignecto Isthmus were invited to information and exchange meetings to ensure good collaboration and buy-in for the national historic sites of the Chignecto Isthmus. Each group expressed their wish to see a long-term approach for the development of a public archaeology program by Parks Canada.

The aim of this blog is to provide you with information should you wish to participate, and updates on the dig if you already did!

Please feel free to leave us comments or ask questions!