[ISL] On archeology on Sable Island

[rfmcdonald]

The National Post shared Aly Thomson's Canadian Press article reporting on an interesting archeological study of Sable Island, a now-deserted island with a long human history waiting to be recovered.

In the wind-blown sands of a narrow, crescent-shaped island off the coast of Nova Scotia, a Coke bottle from 1962 was found resting next a prescription bottle from 1861.

The juxtaposition is telling of Sable Island’s unique and challenging characteristics, said Parks Canada archeologist Charles Burke.

Burke said wind erosion has entombed many artifacts and structures on the sandy island — a National Park Reserve — and has scoured clean thousands of others, leaving them in plain sight.

“Usually an archeologist has to dig to get information. In this case, there’s no digging required. All the artifacts are scattered on the surface,” said Burke. “It was completely unlike anything I’ve done in 40 years of archeology.”

Burke conducted the island’s first-ever systematic archeological survey in August 2015 and will share his findings on Tuesday during a lecture for the Nova Scotia Archeological Society.