Poster Subject: Historical Archaeology

Poster Title: “Thy Reale Friend George Skeffington”: An Archaeological Investigation of 18th-Century European Salmon Fishing on the Gander River (Gander River 3: Dhap-01)

Bio: Sarah Roberts is a MA student in the Department of Archaeology at Memorial, under the supervision of Dr. Barry Gaulton. Her research areas deal with the historic period of Newfoundland with a specific focus on 18th century colonial fisheries. Her MA work builds on her Bachelor of Arts Honours research, exploring the lesser studied/known early 18th century salmon fishing industry in Newfoundland. In addition to being a graduate student, Sarah is a Heritage Researcher and Records Management Clerk with the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Abstract: Newfoundland’s historic European salmon fishery is inadequately represented in archival records and archaeological studies. Despite the industry’s success, there is a limited quantity of primary and secondary sources, and only eight potential salmon fishing stations have been identified on the island. This research explores the probable location of George Skeffington’s early 18th-century (1720-1729) seasonal salmon fishing station on the Gander River at the Summer Houses site (DhAp-01) using a combination of non-invasive field methods, targeted test pitting and material culture analysis. This research represents the first scholarly study of Newfoundland’s historic salmon fishery using both historical and archaeological evidence, with the goal to understand the layout and operation of a salmon fishing station and to shed light on the daily lives of its seasonal fishing crews. This poster summarizes the literature review and archaeological excavations at the Summer Houses site.

Corresponding Author's Email: sarahmr@mun.ca