A cod-awful smell: Novel evidence for fisheries management and land use at 17-18th century Ferryland and its social, economic, and sensorial implications

Summary

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Pool Plantation at Ferryland, Newfoundland was a major commercial fishing port and regional seat of power. Turbulence during the Anglo-French wars (1689-1713) resulted in the destruction of the settlement. Though the site is rich in archaeology, little evidence exists to explore how these events changed the community’s physical, economic, and social infrastructure. This poster describes an approach to identifying patterns in past land-use by considering stable isotope data for the diets of rats as a proxy for the presence of cod offal and, by extension, the relative location of fisheries activities. Results show that the administrative hub and residence of Ferryland’s elite was kept clean of fisheries waste during the seventeenth century. During the eighteenth century, however, the area became the place of intense fishery activities and was probably less densely populated. The sensorial, social, and economic implications of the transition are discussed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015   •
• Poster Session 2

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 158