Gaspé Maritime Archaeology Project

Gaspé Maritime Archaeology Project

AIA Society: Jacksonville
Lecturer: Carolyn Kennedy

Gaspé, located in Eastern Québec, has been a hub of maritime culture in North America for centuries, and continues to be an important fishing and commerce port today. During the historical period, European shipbuilders visited the Gaspé region for one primary purpose: cod fishing. This profitable enterprise required massive ships that could not only brave the open ocean, but also serve as home to crews of dozens of men for months at a time, and haul back enormous cargoes. These fishing vessels were technical marvels, but many of their unique features are not well known today. Fortunately, a material record of these early European fishing ships in North American waters was preserved in the form of shipwrecks in and around Gaspé Bay. In the summer of 2019, Institute of Nautical Archaeology researchers from Texas A&M University initiated a long-term study of shipbuilding in the area, starting with a survey of the Gaspé Bay for shipwrecks and other submerged cultural heritage. Since then, at least one shipwreck has been located and its origins are currently being studied. This paper discusses the results of the remote-sensing survey, the documentation efforts of the nautical archaeological materials, and the long-term goals of this project.

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