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October 1999
Digging The MOUSQUODABOUET Archaeological Project
Through the month of October 1999 and into the next
millennium, the Musquodoboit Harbour Heritage Society will be intensively
exploring the history of "Mousquodabouet", an Acadian/Mi'kmaq
settlement that existed in the vicinity of Musquodoboit Harbour
in the late 1600s and early 1700s.
This exciting new research will be directed by archaeologist
Mike Sanders, a native of Dartmouth with twelve years of experience
working on archaeological sites across the province. Mr. Sanders
is now leading an archaeological survey designed to discover traces
of early Mousquodabouet.
"The antiquity of settlement in the Musquodoboit area is easily
underestimated." says Sanders. "There are no visible reminders.
All vestiges of the early Mi'kmaq and Acadian occupations lie buried
and generally forgotten, covered by soil development and vegetation.
Until I examined early census records, I had no idea that Musquodoboit
Harbour may have been the first area in Halifax Regional Municipality
to be settled by Europeans. Thirteen Acadians were reported to have
been living at Mousquodabouet when the first census of Acadia was
taken in 1671".
The archaeological work, which is being conducted on weekends through
the month of October, is being funded by a Nova Scotia Museum Research
Grant and will involve members of the Musquodoboit Harbour Heritage
Society, the Nova Scotia Archaeology Society and the Saint Mary's
University Anthropology Society. The survey will focus on Francis
Nose Island, near the mouth of Musquodoboit Harbour. Named originally
after Francois Noel, a nineteenth century Mi'kmaq resident, the
island is the reported location of a French fortification and cemetery.
The results of the survey will be posted in updates on Highway7.com.
Read part
2 of this report.
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