|
The Archaeology of Roma at Three Rivers by Scott Buchanan, Archaeologist Sept 2, 2004
Archaeological excavations and research by Parks Canada from 1968-1970 have provided a wealth of information on the nature of Roma’s settlement, business activities and international trading connections. The often faint traces of buildings which survived the burning in 1745, erosion and later periods of site use offer a starting point for appreciating the significance of the site. |
|
general sense of the larger object. Many of the glass, earthenware and porcelain sherds from the Roma site have been re-fitted to provide a clear indication of the size, shape and use of the original artifact and afford a rare glimpse at the breadth and scope of Roma’s enterprise. The relatively short period of occupation at Trois Rivières allows archaeologists to use the collection to help date other sites with little or no historical documentation and to chart commercial links between other French and Acadian settlements on the Island. The net result is a rich compliment to the ongoing documentation of our Island heritage. Artifacts excavated from relatively undisturbed deposits are in many ways just the starting point for interpretation and piecing together the story of a site. The artifact collection from the Roma site is unique given the nature and purpose of the settlement and has been included in a national reference collection. As a trading base with fluid access to supply lines and markets at Fortress Louisbourg, Québec, the remainder of Acadie, France and the Caribbean, Roma’s stores regularly contained goods and produce from diverse points of origin in addition to the provisions for daily life and business. European glassware, stoneware serving and storage vessels from northern Europe, intricately decorated fine porcelain table service from China, ornate fäience plates and coarse earthenware containers from France are but a limited cross-section of the range of domestic products brought to the Island by Roma in the normal course of business. Local markets in the various fishing ports, coastal hamlets and farming districts throughout eastern Isle St. Jean had a ready need for the goods and provisions for everyday life which could not be obtained locally. In a colony with little currency in circulation, trade in fish and farmstead products required elsewhere in New France, Europe and the Caribbean formed the basis of consumer trade. Far from being an isolated trading venture based along the east coast of the Island, Roma’s Trois Rivières provided a vital economic link between Isle St. Jean and the furthest reaches of French international trading markets during an important period in the early history of European settlement on the Island.
Written by Scott Buchanan, archaeologist, September 2, 2004
|
|
ROMA at THREE RIVERS PEI Archaeology |
|
The combined documentation from the 1968-70 research project is an archaeologist’s dream and provides valuable perspectives on the nature of daily life, trade and settlement during a 13-year period from 1732-45. |
|
The narrow time-frame of Roma’s settlement coincides with an early growth period of settlement on Isle St.-Jean and events leading up to the fall of Fortress Louisbourg to New England forces under British command. Artifacts from 18th century sites are generally found as small fragments of larger objects, often with little more than a |
