"From the Sea, Work": Investigating Historical French Landscapes and Lifeways at Anse à Bertrand, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Authors

Meghann Livingston, Memorial University of NewfoundlandFollow
Catherine Losier, Memorial University of NewfoundlandFollow

Abstract

Given its history and changing role within the French salt-cod fishery, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon was essential for French colonial expansion throughout the Atlantic World. Saint-Pierre’s sheltered harbour paired with the archipelago’s proximity to the Grand Banks made these islands an ideal locale for carrying out shore-based activities associated with the salt-cod fishery. In this way, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon can be viewed not only as an integral component of the French presence within the greater region but also as a unique cultural landscape within its own right. With particular reference to Anse à Bertrand, a site located on the southeastern edge of the Saint-Pierre harbour, this paper pieces together historical and archaeological data to explore the archipelago’s maritime cultural landscape during the 300-year life history of the site. Through analysis of historical records, archaeological features, and over 19,000 artefacts, this study is an initial documentation of the “way of life” of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon’s historical inhabitants from the establishment of permanent European settlement during the late 17^th century through to the collapse of the Northeast Atlantic cod fishery in the late 20^th century.

Recommended Citation

Livingston, Meghann and Losier, Catherine (2021) ""From the Sea, Work": Investigating Historical French Landscapes and Lifeways at Anse à Bertrand, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon," Northeast Historical Archaeology: Vol. 50 50, Article 7.
Available at: https://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol50/iss1/7