Straddling the Shoreline: Parks Canada’s Near-shore Maritime Archaeological Inventories

Summary

Archaeological inventories of near-shore areas have played a central part in the work of Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Service for many years. To a degree however they have been overshadowed by our large-scale shipwreck excavations. Near-shore inventories have encompassed a multitude of site categories including: submerged lands; colonial naval and military sites; harbours; nineteenth-century canal corridors; and industrial whaling, forestry and fishing sites. Over the years we have developed our own unique approach to catch rich and varied sites along the shoreline in our inventory net. So too we have come to appreciate the rewards of an all-encompassing maritime archaeological outlook during these surveys. This paper will take a look back and share six varied examples of our near-shore inventory projects from across Canada, point to lessons learned and summarize the archaeological benefits we have experienced.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Underwater Archaeology the Canadian Way, Eh! Fifty Years of Park Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Service   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-31,05