Protecting Beothuk relics

A site offering a wealth of information about Newfoundland and Labrador's existence prior to European settlers is battling the affects of age, as erosion takes its toll.

An archeologist who has been digging in Burnside for almost 20 years hopes a provincial designation can help give the location a boost.

Laurie McLean, along with the Beothuk Institute and Burnside Heritage Foundation, has applied to the new Provincial Historic Commemoration Program.

The program is a provincial government initiative designed to highlight unique aspects of Newfoundland and Labrador's history, culture, and heritage.

There are 56 dig sites spread through Burnside and Salvage, said Mr. McLean.

"Burnside, from a fairly humble operation, has become an ongoing archeological research project, into its 21st year now," he said. "We have the largest aboriginal quarry on the island of Newfoundland, and we also have one of the oldest human occupations in Newfoundland."

Human occupation in the area dates back 5,000 years, and aside from the Beothuk, Maritime Archaic Indians and Palaeo Eskimos also inhabited the region.

"We've provided a lot of information on aboriginal life in Bonavista Bay leading up to the time of European contact and before contact," said Mr. McLean.

He said new archeological sites are found each year, and even places known of for several years, including Bloody Bay Cove and the Beaches site, still contain thousands of artifacts.

"There's still a lot of work to do around the Burnside area."

Much of the coastal section of north eastern Newfoundland is affected by erosion, said Mr. McLean, and archeological sites are lost because of this.

"We do our best to combat some of the erosion of the archeological sites there," he said.

Battling erosion

Options include to build retaining walls to combat rising sea levels, which can be problematic, or to move the entire contents of a site in one quick scoop.

"Cost is an issue for all archeological work - it's labour intensive, and the places we work are mostly accessible by boat only."

Mr. McLean works for the Burnside Heritage Foundation, a non-profit group, and sustained funding is an issue.

"From one year to the next, we have no guaranteed funding," he said.

The provincial designation would be beneficial, hopes Mr. McLean, for increasing the visibility of the sites.

"It raises the profile of both areas," he said, referencing the Bloody Bay Cove and Beaches sites. "Ideally, I would like to see both of them become provincial historic sites. There's only 12 historic sites on the island, so it's a very select group, and there's many deserving places."

By raising the profile of the sites, Mr. McLean said a provincial designation could lead to sustained interest from the public.

"That will help us properly preserve and research these sites through whatever means, be it government or private input."

The spring is a busy time for Mr. McLean, as proposals are being sent to allow for the hiring of staff to oversee the archeology museum in Burnside and funds to cover his own archeology work.

Mr. McLean usually spends 20-22 weeks exploring the sites, with the museum open by mid-June. Boat tours are also conducted to take visitors to Bloody Bay Cove and the Beaches.

The Provincial Historic Commemorations Board meets biannually to review nominations for commemorative designations. The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation gives final approval to all submissions forwarded by the board.

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