Exploring Our Past
Article written by David A. Snow from Wildland Tours, in
St. John's, Newfoundland
INTRODUCTION
Newfoundland and Labrador has always been a wonderful destination for time travellers. For
students of history and archaeology, there are artefacts and sites that predate the pyramids.
Interpretation centres and active archaeological digs across the province provide insights into the
lives of the earliest inhabitants of this province and of more recent settlers.
Archaeological knowledge is constantly changing. New evidence is continually being uncovered,
and many of the province's sites are the subject of ongoing study. Many more sites await
investigation and interpretation before they can yield clues to the past.
PEOPLES OF THE LAND AND SEA
The ocean, with its abundance of fish, seals and other marine life, has always been the primary
source of food to the people of this province. Caribou herds, small game, freshwater fish, plants,
and fall berries added further flavours and nutrients to the diet. Both the land and the sea
provided raw materials for clothing, tents, watercraft, and for the tools to manufacture them. The
natural environment was a great source of spiritual inspiration for past peoples of this province.
This is illustrated by the animal effigies created by the Maritime Archaic Indians 5000
B.P.(Before Present), by the intricate amulets carved by the Dorset Eskimo 200 B.P., and by the
bone pendants made by the Beothuk Indians 1000 B.P. Today, the meeting of the land and the
sea continues to inspire the province's renowned artistic community.
Most of the archaeological sites in the province have been found along the coast. Recent
archaeological surveys in the interiors of Newfoundland and Labrador show that prehistoric
peoples also spent certain parts of the year living in the interior. The Europeans, who arrived
from Iceland, Greenland, Spain, France, England, and Ireland, tended to camp or settle along the
rich, rugged coastline.
THE PREHISTORIC PERIOD - THE FIRST NORTH AMERICANS
Archaeological research suggests that humans from the Asian continent first came to North
America over 20,000 B.P. They arrived via a narrow corridor of land across what is now the
Bering Strait to Alaska. They came in the wake of herds of wildlife, including woolly
mammoths, bison, and horse. Between 18,000 and 14,000 B.P., the glaciers of the last Ice Age
began to melt, and the land bridge was covered by the rising sea. The first North Americans, the
Palaeo-Indians, spread as far as the southern tip of South America. Over time some of the
animals of the Ice Age, including woolly mammoths and the giant beaver, disappeared; their
extinction possibly hastened by the improving weapons of the Palaeo-Indians. In Labrador, the
disappearing glaciers gave way to the first grasses and bushes such as alder. In time, birch
conifers of the northern forest sprang up. Frozen lakes became fishing grounds and canoe routes,
and the offshore soil deposited by retreating glaciers created one of the world's richest marine
areas.
MARITIME ARCHAIC PERIOD
The first inhabitants of the province were part of an Archaic Indian culture that inhabited eastern
North America between about 8000 - 3500 B.P. The Archaic Indians first arrived in southern
Labrador from the Maritime provinces and the north shore of the St. Lawrence. These people
had a strong relationship with the sea and depended heavily on its resources, hence the name
"Maritime" Archaic Indians. They eventually inhabited the entire Labrador coast reaching
northernmost Labrador about 5000 B.P. One burial site at L'Anse-Amour dates back
approximately 7500 years, making it the oldest known burial mound in North America. By about
4000 years B.P. they also occupied much of the coast of the Island of Newfoundland. Over thirty
years of archaeological study offers a picture of a people with an evolved spiritual and material
culture. Stone spear and knife blades, bone toggling harpoons, and marine animal effigies
suggest a people fully adapted to the sea. Although no direct evidence exists, it is very likely that
the Maritime Archaic Indians had sturdy watercraft. Also not preserved are the products of
hideworking such as clothing, tents, and sinew lines for tools, all vital to their survival. The care
taken with burials and the nature of grave goods during this period suggest a strong reverence for
the individual in both life and death as well as a clear sense of the individual's relationship with
nature. Maritime Archaic occupation of Labrador gave way to that of the Intermediate Indians
whose sites are dated between 3500 to 2500 B.P. Much remains to be studied of the Intermediate
Indians, including their connection, if any, with the Maritime Archaic Indians. Their site
locations suggest familiarity with both the sea and interior environments. The Intermediate
Indians (meaning intermediate to the first and the last prehistoric Indian groups in Labrador)
were probably the first inhabitants of the Labrador interior. The story of the Archaic Indians can
be explored at the L'Anse-Amour interpretation centre in southern Labrador and Newfoundland's
interpretation centres at Port au Choix, Burnside, and at
The Newfoundland Museum in St.
John's.
EARLY PALAEOESKIMO PERIOD: THE PRE-DORSET ESKIMO
Approximately 4000 B.P. the early palaeoeskimo expanded southward into Labrador from the
high Arctic, eventually disappearing around 2000 B.P. The term Palaeoeskimo literally means
"prehistoric Eskimo". The early Palaeoeskimo introduced arctic technology and culture to the
Labrador coast and in time, to Newfoundland. In contrast to later Dorset Eskimo, the early
Palaeoeskimo had an economy that focused on marine resources but that also had an important
terrestrial component. The remains of their material culture includes distinctive tools such as the
side-notched endblade and small, oval soapstone lamps. The occupation dates and site locations
suggest that these early Eskimo expanded into Labrador at the expense of their Maritime Archaic
Indian predecessors. In fact, by about 3500 B.P., there is no longer any evidence of Maritime
Archaic presence in northern and central Labrador. Archaeologists do not know whether this was
due to extinction of to retreat, either southwards or into the interior. It is known, however, that
the Pre-Dorset Eskimo heralded an extensive and distinctive occupation of Labrador and
Newfoundland. Exhibits at Port au Choix and The
Newfoundland Museum in St. John's give further insight into this period.
LATE PALAEOESKIMO PERIOD - THE DORSET
A second wave of Arctic-adapted people expanded southwards into Labrador around 2400 B.P.
The Dorset Eskimo are named after Cape Dorset in Baffin Island where their artifacts were first
found. They were more intensely marine-oriented than the early Palaeoeskimo. Their sites are
found throughout coastal Labrador and Newfoundland. Dorset Eskimo marine specialisation is
reflected in site locations on outermost island, which permitted better access to the harp seal
migrations. It is also reflected in the bone remains, mainly of harp seal, from the middens (refuse
dumps) at these sites and by stone and bone tools such as harpoons. Perhaps the most tantalising
Dorset artifacts are carved bone, antler, ivory, and soapstone figurines of polar bears, humans,
and birds, many of which are on display at The
Newfoundland Museum. For unknown reasons, the Dorset disappeared from the Island of
Newfoundland around 1000 B.P. They continued to occupy central and northern Labrador for
another 600 years. About A.D. 1400, a third wave or Arctic people arrived in northern Labrador.
These were the Thule Eskimo, an Alaskan people who populated the entire Canadian Arctic and
Greenland. They are named after a place in western Greenland where their artifacts were first
identified.
Interpretation centres focusing on the Late Palaeoeskimo can be found at Cape Ray, Port au
Choix, Fleur de Lys, and Burnside.
RECENT INDIAN PERIOD
The term Recent Indian refers to Indian groups of the late prehistoric period (about 1700 - 500
B.P.) who inhabited Newfoundland and Labrador prior to the arrival of Europeans. In Labrador,
recent Indian archaeological sites are distinguished by the nearly exclusive use of a translucent
stone called the Ramah chert. This unique stone was used by most prehistoric peoples in the
province. The only known source is outcrops in Ramah Bay, northern Labrador. The Recent
Indians were great travellers and traders as shown by the presence of Ramah chert at sites
throughout the Labrador Peninsula, the north shore of the St. Lawrence, and as far south as New
England. The presence of items such as porcupine quills on Newfoundland (there are no
porcupines in Newfoundland) further highlights a tradition of trading and technology transfer. In
Newfoundland, the Indian groups of the late prehistoric period are distinguished by their use of
local cherts and by production of tiny, intricate points that were probably used as arrow tips for
birding or for hunting small game. Both the Labrador and the Newfoundland Indians of this
period spent warm times of the year on the coast and moved to the interior to hunt caribou
during colder seasons. Recent Indian material can be viewed at the Boyd's Cove
interpretation centre, and at the South Dildo Whaling and Sealing
Museum.
THE HISTORIC PERIOD - THE ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS
The arrival of Europeans around 500 B.P. was a time of great change for aboriginal groups.
Links with traders and missionaries brought changes in aboriginal economic and social structure.
Contact with Europeans also introduced diseases to which they had no resistance. In the case of
the Beothuk Indians, European settlement resulted in their
extinction.
The Beothuk
It is speculated that it was the Dorset and the Beothuk who met the Viking
explorers. These peoples may have been the "Skraelings" referred to in Norse historic
traditions.
The Beothuk were the aboriginal inhabitants of Newfoundland at the time of European contact.
The last known Beothuk, Shawnadithit, told her captor, John Peyton, that the Beothuk were
descended from Labrador Indians. The Beothuk belonged to the Algonkian-speaking peoples of
the Canadian Northeast. Beothuk artifacts include stone and bone items as well as fragile
artifacts of wood and skin that are normally not preserved at sites of earlier cultures. Leather
moccasins, bone pendants, baskets, wooden bowls, wooden dolls, shell beads and other artifacts
were carefully crafted. The Beothuk were also adept at refashioning European iron nails into
hide scrapers and arrow points. The term "Red Indian" was first used to refer to the Beothuk,
who were known to cover their faces with an iron-rich soil called red ochre. This soil was mixed
with animal fat and spread on the body for protection from insects and sunburn. Shawnadithit,
who died in St. John's in 1829, left us with numerous words of her language and information
about her society and culture. She provided maps showing where her people had encampments
together with details for food storage techniques. She also constructed a miniature model of the
Beothuk canoe, a distinctive vessel with high bow and stern, and sides that rose high in the
middle.
The Innu
The Labrador Indians of the contact period, the Innu (historically known as the Naskapit and
Montagnais) also belong to the family of Algonkian- speaking peoples. They are descended from
Labrador Indians of the late prehistoric period. Their way of life was similar to that of their
ancestors as it involved travelling in interior areas for caribou and other resources and to the
coast for salmon and trout. The Newfoundland Museum
exhibits several pieces of intricately painted caribou hide clothing. In the belief system of these
Indians, clothing was imbued with symbolic meaning and special powers by the women who
produced it. It was worn by caribou hunters for success in the hunt.
The Inuit
The Thule Eskimo are thought to be the first to introduce sled dogs and the
ulu knife to Labrador. Today's Inuit are direct descendants of the Thule.
The Inuit are the descendants of the Thule Eskimo. They had an arctic culture that included the
snow house or igloo, the kayak boat, the larger umiak boat, the woman's circular-bladed knife or
ulu, and the ingenious bow drill. Other distinctive tools of the Inuit included harpoon heads,
toggles for dog harnesses, soapstone lamps and pots, and durable seal and caribou skin clothing.
As with their Thule ancestors, the Inuit depended on the sea for their livelihood and were adept
at both fishing and hunting sea mammal. The Inuit also conducted an inland caribou hunt in the
late summer. An exhibit on the Inuit can be seen at The
Newfoundland Museum and in Happy Valley-Goose Bay,
Labrador, at the
Labrador Institute of Northern Studies.
By The eighteenth century, trading posts and Moravian missions along the north shore of the St.
Lawrence and along the Labrador coast brought about significant changes in Innu and Inuit
culture. These once nomadic people became more attached to the European stations as
wage-earning fur trappers, sealers, and traders . Many died of influenza and smallpox. Their
bone and stone tools, skin clothing, and skin boats were replaced by European
equivalents.
The Mi'kmaq
Newfoundland is home to another aboriginal group, the Mi'kmaq (or Micmac). The oral
traditions and mythology of Nova Scotia's Mi'kmaqs recognise Newfoundland as a hunt ground.
Today there are several Newfoundland communities boasting significant Mi'kmaq populations
including the Miawpukek Band of Conne River, located on Newfoundland's south coast. Exhibits
can be viewed at The Newfoundland
Museum.
RUMOURS OF ST. BRENDAN
The legend of St. Brendan (believed to have lived from A.D. 489 - 577) describes how he left
Ireland near the end of his life to plant the seeds of Christianity in a far western isle. This legend
may have been known by the European explorers, including Columbus and Cabot, who followed
Brendan westward nine centuries later. Brendan himself apparently believed he was going to
rediscover lands already visited by his predecessors including the early Saint Mernoc. Nobody
knows the actual fate of St. Brendan; but near L'Anse aux Meadows a lichen-covered stone with
a mysterious type of writing has been found. The etching on this stone resembles an ancient Irish
or Celtic style of writing that died out in the fifth or sixth century. The stone's covering of slow
growing lichens proves that the etchings are hundreds of years old. Legend suggest that it may
have been chiselled by St. Brendan the navigator, the first Irish Saint; but further information is
needed before the mystery of this "Ogham" stone is solved.
THE FIRST EUROPEANS IN THE NEW WORLD - THE NORSE
The sagas or oral storied of the Norse tell of Bjarni Herjolfsson a Viking who was blown off
course while travelling between Iceland and Greenland in A.D. 986. His reports of "Markland", a
heavily wooded coastline, were an irresistible lure to the timber-needy Norse. Leif Eriksson, or
"Leif the Lucky", followed Herjolfsson's route and became the first Norse to land in "Vinland".
The sagas describe the settlement of Vinland by at least three Norse expeditions as well as trade
and conflict with people they called "Skraelings". At least one child was born in Vinland before
the settlement was abandoned. He was Snorri, son of Gudrud, Leif's sister-in-law, and Thorvald
Karlsefni.
In 1960, the Norwegian archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad and her adventurer husband Helge
Ingstad followed clues from the sagas that brought them across the Atlantic to L'Anse aux
Meadows. There they were led to a possible site by local fisherman George Decker. Several
years of excavation, some in conjunction with the Canadian Parks Service, resulted in the
discovery of artifacts that are indeed of Norse origin as well as the structural remains of a small
Norse settlement. This settlement may or may not be the Vinland of the Norse sagas, but it is
without a doubt of Norse origin. L'Anse aux Meadows was designated a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 1978. Reconstructed Norse sod houses and an interpretation centre tell the story of
the women and men who braved the North Atlantic in their small open boats ten centuries
ago.
EUROPEAN EXPLORERS AND SETTLERS
For half a century in the late 1500s, as many as 20 ships a year sailed from
the Basque provinces of France and Spain to hunt right and bowhead whales near Red
Bay.
Small but seaworthy fishing vessels from European harbours such as Bristol, San Sebastian, and
Lisbon, may have rediscovered the Island of Newfoundland in the late 15th century while in
search of new fishing grounds. If so, these fishermen would have been acquainted with the
"New-Founde-Lande" before Columbus or John Cabot.
Cabot's 1497 voyage westward across the Atlantic was the first historically documented trip of
the age to North America. Cabot’s voyage, his reported landing at Bonavista, and his
exploration of the New World added fuel to the flame of exploration lit by Columbus. In 1500,
the Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte Real sailed into St. John's Harbour on St. John's Day,
giving the sheltered harbour its name.
Several cities in eastern North America, including St. John's, claim to be the oldest city in North
America. While some cities may boast slightly older incorporation documents, there is little
doubt that the most easterly harbour in North America, located closest to the richest fishing
grounds in the known world, was used many years before any other North American site. In
1527, an Englishman named John Rutt visiting St. John's as part of an exploratory voyage,
mailed the first letter from the New World to the Old World on an outgoing vessel. In that same
year, King Henry VIII of England commanded a merchant names Bute to form a colony in
Newfoundland.
By 1504, French fishermen were using the Ferryland Harbour as a base for their summer fishery.
This place was already known to the Portuguese who had named the harbour Forilon. In the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the French and the Basques used Placentia's sheltered
harbour and its stone beach for drying cod. The Basques carried out an extensive cod and whale
fishery. Their sites are found along the southern and western coasts of Newfoundland, along the
coast of southern Labrador, and along the shores of the St. Lawrence. In 1610, John Guy, from
Bristol, established a plantation in Cupers Cove, today's Cupids. In 1611, pirate Peter Easton
terrorised fishermen from his headquarters in Harbour Grace and eventually from Ferryland. In
1620, The Mayflower landed at Renews, on the southern shore of the Avalon Peninsula, where it
picked up water and supplies before sailing on the Plymouth Rock. When these founding fathers
of America arrived at their more southerly landfall, they were met by Squantum, an
English-speaking American Indian who had been taught English in Newfoundland. The story of
Squantum is an interesting one. It is believed he was captured by European sailors and sold into
slavery in Spain. After escaping captivity he found passage in a ship returning to the New World
and made his way to John Guy's colony in Cuper's Cove in 1616 where the Governor's wife
taught him English. It was the teachings and kindness Squantum experiences in Newfoundland
that helped inspire him to aid the ill-prepared settlers of the Mayflower. In the same year as the
Mayflower's voyage, Sir George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, was granted a charter for the colony of
Avalon; and in 1621, his first settlers arrived in what is now Ferryland to build houses and start a
plantation. The French founded their first Newfoundland colony at Placentia in 1662 during the
reign of Louis XIV. From Plaisance, or Placentia, the French protected their fishing grounds and
established a presence in Newfoundland that continues today with
French place names,
French-speaking communities in the St. George's Bay area of the Island, and with the French-owned
islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. These two island are a short ferry trip from Fortune.
Newfoundland and Labrador boasts many historic sites commemorating the people and events
that shaped the history of this province and the continent. Castle Hill National Historic Park in
Placentia and Signal Hill National Historic Park in St. John's features artifacts, ruins, and
outstanding interpretative information about the early historic period. Travellers can visit the
archaeological excavations and exhibits in Ferryland. At Cupids, the archaeological excavation
and community museum are open to visitors. In the picturesque community of Trinity, visitors
can view an excavation and visit a British military installation. In Labrador, sites to visit include
the National Historic Site at Red Bay, which tells the story of the Basque whalers. At Battle
Harbour, an early fishing community is in the process of being restored. Moravian missionary
stations can be visited in northern Labrador at Hopedale, Nain, and Hebron.
TIME TRAVELLING DESTINATIONS
The province's Historic Resources Act makes it illegal
to disturb artifacts or historic sites. Contact the Historic Resources
division of the Department of
Tourism, Culture, and Recreation for further information about the
Act.
The sites listed below have all been mentioned in the preceding text and may be of
interest.
Newfoundland
Cape Ray
(Route 308, off Route 1)
This is the site of a Middle Dorset settlement first excavated in the early 1970s. An
interpretation centre at Cape Ray, 10 km north of Port aux Basques, has exhibits based on the
archaeological site.
Port au Choix National Historic Park
(Route 436, off Route 430)
In 1967, a group of workers in the fishing community of Port au Choix were excavating a
basement when they unearthed a mass of bones, tools, and weapons. The following year,
archaeologists investigating this find discovered three ancient cemeteries and scores of artifacts.
These were all determined to belong to the Maritime Archaic people who occupied this site
between 4200 and 3500 B.P. More recent excavations at nearby Phillips Garden have uncovered
the remains of both Early and Late Palaeoeskimo peoples. Today, the Port au Choix area boasts
over 20 known archaeological sites. An interpretation centre in the community tells the exciting
story of the excavations and of the area's early inhabitants.
L'Anse aux Meadows
(Route 436, off Route 430)
This National Historic Park and World Heritage Site commemorates the earliest evidence of
European presence in the New World. Excavations have recovered evidence of three sod houses,
four workshops, and an iron working smithy. Norse artifacts, reconstructed sod houses, and a
well designed visitor centre are worth the trip up the beautiful Great Northern
Peninsula.
Fleur de Lys
(at the end of Route 410)
This National Historic Site is a soapstone outcrop quarried by Palaeoeskimo peoples. Negative
impressions of soapstone lamps, probably made by the Dorset Eskimo 200 B.P., can clearly be
seen on the face of the outcrop. Although this site has yet to be developed, visitors interested in a
tour are welcomed by the community.
Red Indian Lake
(Route 370)
This stop features a small beach where the Beothuk once hunted and fished. There is a small
reconstructed Beothuk hut with artifacts and a scenic trail that leads to reconstructed Beothuk
mamateeks and other structures.
Grand Falls-Windsor - Mary March Museum / Beothuk
Village
(off Route 1)
The Mary March Regional Museum in grand Falls-Windsor is named in honour of a Beothuk
woman, who in her own language was called Demasduit. The museum traces 5000 years of
human history in central Newfoundland through a series of informative exhibits. Behind the
museum, a local development group has reconstructed a Beothuk village. This site features
winter and summer mamateeks and a sweat lodge.
Boyd's Cove
(Route 340)
Located along the route to Twillingate and Fogo, Boyd's Cove the site of a large Beothuk
encampment dated from about A.D. 1650 1720. Eleven housepits have been identified at the
site. The artifacts on display in the visitor centre are from the excavations that took place here in
the 1980s. The beads, bones, iron, and stone tools reflect a people in transition between
traditional culture and European-influenced culture. Visitors can view the original habitation
area and explore the trail system.
Burnside
(off Route 310)
Burnside features a small interpretation centre where visitors will often see archaeologists at
work. Two of the better known sites in this area are The Quarry, Newfoundland’s largest
aboriginal chert quarry, and The Beaches, the largest known Beothuk settlement. Both can be
reached by boat from Burnside. Artifacts at these sites and others along the coast demonstrate
that this area was used by the Maritime Archaic Indians, by Palaeoeskimo peoples, and by Indian
groups of the late prehistoric period.
Trinity
(Route 230)
Visitors can drive out to Admiral's Point to the site of an 18th - 19th century British military
installation with interpretative trails. An excavation at the Lester-garland premises in the town of
Trinity can also be viewed.
Dildo South
(Route 80)
The excavation of a Recent Indian site at nearby Russell's Point recovered numerous artifacts,
including distinctive tiny chert points. Some of these finds are on display at the Whaling and
Sealing Museum in Dildo South. The excavation of a Dorset Eskimo site on Dildo Island is
accessible by local tour boats.
Cupids
(Route 70)
Newfoundland's first official European colony was started by John Guy at Cupers Cove, or
Cupids, in 1610. Ongoing excavations of what may in fact be John Guy's colony are accessible
to visitors. During the summer, and exhibit can be viewed in the Cupids Community
Museum.
The Newfoundland Museum
(285 Duckworth Street, St. John's)
The Newfoundland Museum features exhibits on the Newfoundland environment, the science of
archaeology, and the province's cultural history. Numerous artifacts from sites around the
province are on display. These include Dorset carvings from Saglek, a 4000-year-old carving of
a killer whale from Port au Choix, and the 7500-year-old bird bone whistle found in a burial at
L'Anse-Amour.
Signal Hill, St. John's
(This one is hard to miss.)
The view from Signal Hill makes this National Historic Park one of Canada's favourite
attractions. Archaeological studies have provided important details concerning 17th- and
18th-century military structures at the mouth of the harbour. An excellent interpretative trail is in
place, and an interpretation centre is located just below the summit. Signal Hill was also the site
where Guglielmo Marconi received the first wireless transatlantic signal in 1901. The impressive
Cabot Tower standing on Signal Hill was built in 1897 to celebrate both the 400th anniversary of
John Cabot's arrival in Newfoundland and Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
Ferryland
(Route 10)
The colony of Avalon was founded by Lord Baltimore in 1621, more than a decade before the
establishment of his well-known Maryland colony. Today, archaeologists of the Colony of
Avalon Archaeology Project are excavating the remains of the 17th-century settlement around
Ferryland's inner harbour. Here you can view the ongoing excavations, see the structures that
have been uncovered, and visit the nearby laboratory. A visitor centre provides historical
information about the site and exhibits some of the artifacts uncovered at the dig. The Ferryland
Community Museum provides further information on the early settlement of the southern
shore.
Placentia
(Route 100)
Castle Hill National Historic Park is the site of French and English fortifications built in the 17th
and 18th centuries to protect the colony of Plaisance and its rich fishery. Plaisance, or Placentia
(as the English renamed it), was a focal point in the struggle between the French and English for
control of the lucrative Newfoundland fishery. The restored fort offers a panoramic view of
Placentia Bay, while the Park’s interpretation centre tells the story of the Basque, French, and
English peoples who once occupied the area. Settlers, soldiers, fishermen, merchants, and pirates
are all featured in the centuries-old story of Plaisance, the former French Capital of
Newfoundland.
Labrador
L'Anse-Amour
(off Route 510)
The sand dune landscape of L'Anse-Amour was favoured by the Maritime Archaic Indians, and
many of their artifacts have been found here. Maritime Archaic Indians buried an adolescent
child here in 7500 B.P., in what is the oldest known burial mound in North America. Informative
signage and a small interpretative trail commemorate the site of the burial. Artifacts are on
display in The Newfoundland Museum on Duckworth Street in St. John's.
Red Bay
(end of Route 510)
By 1550, the Basques had established a major whaling enterprise in the Northwest Atlantic that
included the Strait of Belle Isle and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. At its peak, over 1000 men worked
at the Red Bay site, harvesting right whale, bowhead, and perhaps other whale species in order
to supply oil to the lamps of Europe. This activity created the largest 16th-century industrial
complex in North America. Today it is often referred to as the World Whaling Capital of the
era.
In the early 1970s, historical geographer Selma Huxley Barkham discovered information on the
location of red Bay and many other Basque whaling stations while studying 16th-century Basque
legal documents in northern Spain. The Canadian Parks Service and Memorial University carried out underwater and land-based
archaeological excavations at Red Bay throughout the 1980s. They uncovered evidence of a
substantial whaling operation. A Basque cemetery was located as well as three sunken galleons
and several oil rendering ovens. The interpretation centre features the story of Red Bay,
information on the whale species, and exhibits artifacts recovered from both the land and
underwater excavations. Tours to Saddle Island, where many of the shore stations were located,
are also available.
The Labrador Coast
(by coastal boat)
Much of the Labrador coast has been archaeological surveyed, and sites number in the
thousands. Few of these sites have been excavated, and fewer still are part of ongoing
interpretative programs such as community museums. Nevertheless, it is clear that many of the
communities the coastal boat visits were once places inhabited by prehistoric peoples. The
islands, capes, and points of land the coastal boat passes were also places of encampment for
Labrador's Aboriginal peoples. The
Newfoundland and Labrador Travel Guide
can be consulted for places of interest along this
spectacular coast.
The small island community of Battle Harbour, situated just north of Red Bay, was where John
Slade and Co. maintained a merchant station between 1775-1871. In 1893, Dr. Wilfred Grenfell
established his first hospital here. Over seventeen buildings have been reconstructed by the
Battle Harbour Historic trust. Presently open to visitors is a restored doctor's cottage and the
home of the Issac Smith family. The Issac Smith residence, built in 1834, has been occupied
continuously since then. It is thought to be the oldest standing residence in Labrador. Also
restored is the Anglican church of St. James the Apostle. Visitors must plan their stay around the
coastal boat's schedule.
OTHER NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR TIME TRAVELLING DESTINATIONS
The entire province is an adventure for anybody with an appreciation of the challenges faced by
people in the past. Many aspects of our history and prehistory may never be uncovered. The
famines and diseases, songs and music, stories and art, are lost to the past. Other treasures can,
however, be found around the province. For example, there are community museums and
interpretation centres featuring artifacts from shipwrecks and archaeological digs; the Red Bay
are boasts the remains of a French sealing and fur trading centre; and Random Island has rock
etchings from an incident where pirates held settlers hostage. There are dozens of other places
featuring stories and treasures from years ago.
Wherever you travel in the province, you will meet people proud of their heritage and eager to
share their knowledge of Newfoundland and Labrador's special places. This province's museums,
interpretation centres, and historic vistas are all waiting to assist you with your time
travels.
This document was transcribed by permission from "A Self-Driving Guide:
Exploring Our Past", and is available from the Government of Newfoundland
and Labrador Department of Tourism, Culture, & Recreation.
Article written by David A. Snow
from Wildland
Tours, in St. John's, Newfoundland
Watercolour Illustration by Ventzeslav Vesselinov
Transcribed for HTML by Erin
McKee
Printed in Canada by Dicks & Company Ltd, 1996
ISBN: 1-55146-039-4
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