An archaeological analysis of the distribution of French fishing rooms on the Petit Nord, Newfoundland

Tapper, Bryn (2014) An archaeological analysis of the distribution of French fishing rooms on the Petit Nord, Newfoundland. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The analysis of the spatial distribution of fishing rooms demonstrates that French fishing crews preferentially exploited certain parts of the Petit Nord during their prosecution of the historic cod fishery between 1500 and 1904. This research investigates the environmental and cultural factors that influenced where sites were selected and subsequently established. Fishing harbours were the hubs of wider networks, both physical and cognitive, of resource acquisition and navigation. A system of landmarks, daymarks and anchorages warded a network of sailing routes linking fishing rooms to cod grounds and resource areas. Seasonal occupation led to the intense exploitation of natural resources and necessitated the installation of a landscape-based infrastructure to negotiate the division of shore space and allocation of timber and fresh water. The concept of the maritime cultural landscape is used to link the terrestrial sites of the fishery with the region’s network of marine exploitation, land use and navigation. Effects of cultural processes in the past persist in the patterns and character of land use, both cultural and semi-natural, on land and at sea, that are observable in the region today.

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