In an effort to clear the area for any future infrastructure repairs in the Pointe Claire Village, an archaeological dig is being conducted in and around the area of the famous windmill.
According to Pointe Claire Mayor, John Belvedere, the operation will be taking place in at least two phases. The first of which is almost complete with several findings including a skull, femur and an entire body that appeared to be in a coffin. Phase two will take place after the winter months.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about the area and what was once on this site,”
- Mayor Belvedere
What is involved in an archaeological dig
According to Wikipedia, in archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or “dig” is a site being studied. Such a site excavation concerns itself with a specific archaeological site or a connected series of sites, and may be conducted over as little as several weeks to over a number of years.
Numerous specialized techniques with particular features are used. Resources and other practical issues do not allow archaeologists to carry out excavations whenever and wherever they choose. These constraints mean many known sites have been deliberately left unexcavated. This is with the intention of preserving them for future generations as well as recognising the role they serve in the communities that live near them.
Excavation involves the recovery of several types of data from a site. These data include artifacts (objects made or modified by humans), features (modifications to the site itself such as post molds, burials, and hearths), ecofacts (evidence for the local environment and resources being used such as snail shells, seeds, and butchered bones) and, most importantly, archaeological context (relationships among the other types of data). Ideally, data from the excavation should suffice to reconstruct the site completely in three-dimensional space.
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