Early Basque Presence In The Gulf Of Maine: First Results And Future Research Threads
Author(s): Xabier Alberdi; Rebecca Cole-Will; Brad Loewen; Brad Loewen; Ihintza Marguirault
Year: 2020
Summary
This is a paper/report submission presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.
New research suggests an early Basque fishing, whaling and trading presence in the Gulf of Maine. Aided by historical place-names and a reexamination of archaeological collections in Maine, we searched for other tangible indicators of a Basque presence in the area. The existence of an island named Placentia in the Penobscot Estuary casts a new light on the provenance of the “Biscayne shallop” and its Indigenous crew that Bartholomew Gosnold met near Cape Neddick, Maine, in 1602. Because the Indigenous sailors claimed to be from “Placentia,” Gosnold thought – and perhaps misunderstood – that they were referring to the well-known, eponymous place in Newfoundland, nearly 1400 kilometers away.
Surveys on Placentia Island, conducted in 2015 and 2016, included extensive surface explorations, nearly 100 test pits and 10 limited excavations at selected places. Some evidence suggests Native and Basque relations in the late 1500s and early 1600s and encourages further research.
Cite this Record
Early Basque Presence In The Gulf Of Maine: First Results And Future Research Threads. Xabier Alberdi, Rebecca Cole-Will, Brad Loewen, Brad Loewen, Ihintza Marguirault. 2020 ( tDAR id: 457281)
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Spatial Coverage
min long: -18.003; min lat: 27.731 ; max long: 4.276; max lat: 43.764 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 359