Over the last 10 years, a research group from Memorial University and McMaster University have been working toward gaining further insight into the genetics and lifeways of Beothuk and Maritime Archaic populations in Newfoundland and Labrador. As a direct result of the continued support and interest from the Beothuk Institute, Innu Nation, NunatuKavut, Nunatsiavut, Miawpukek First Nation, Qalipu First Nation, The Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canadian Museum of History, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, they are delighted to report and discuss with you the results of this research prior to publication in Current Biology on 12 October 2017.

A great day and an energetic hike out along the beautiful trail to Bordeaux Head last Saturday, September 2nd. Though we found numerous beach-strewn waterworn lithics from the former Dorset site, there was no evidence of any in-situ deposits. Our re-visit and testing of this “late” Middle Dorset site was the first to undertake any excavation since Urve Linnamae discovered the site in 1970. Like an increasing number of exposed coastal sites, it appears that erosion has taken what was left of this important site out to sea. Watch for a full report of our activities in the forthcoming Archaeology in Newfoundland and Labrador Annual Report Series that is put out by the Provincial Archaeology Office. http://www.tcii.gov.nl.ca/pao/arch_in_nl/index.html

We also created a YouTube video of our trip which can be seen here.

Water rolled lithic artifact

Testing the site