Everyday life at Champs Paya: the case study of a French migratory, male-only, cod fishing room in northern Newfoundland 

Summary

In the last few decades, most gender studies have focused on women, creating a gap in the understanding of male-only societies. This paper will discuss the question of masculinity in archaeology through the case study of the migratory fishing room, Champs Paya. For almost 400 years, French fishermen left Brittany every spring to spend their summer fishing in northern Newfoundland. Once the salted-dried cod fishing season was over they returned to France to sell their cargo. During these four centuries of seasonal occupation, no women ever accompanied these fisher-men to this part of the New World. Occupied seasonally and solely by dozens of men, Champs Paya offers a great setting to discuss, from both a theoretical and tangible point of view, the issue of masculinity. Consumer choices and adaptive strategies will be discussed in order to provide a better understanding of what daily-life would have been like in northern Newfoundland. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Gendering Consumer Choice   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

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PaperId(s): 412