NLIS 2
April 26, 2000
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)

Minister announces archaeological testing has begun at
Fort Townshend, future site for "The Rooms"

Charles Furey, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, today announced that archaeological investigations have begun at the late 18th century fortification of Fort Townshend, the site of the new museum, art gallery and archives complex known as "The Rooms." A small crew of eight archaeologists has begun to test selected areas.

The purpose of the archaeological tests is to determine the accuracy of a 1999 departmentally commissioned archival report on the structural history of Fort Townshend. The report has provided archaeologists with information about the fort�s physical layout, which will assist in determining what cultural features might be expected to be found at the site. Much of the information for the report was acquired from military and civilian correspondence from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and additional details were obtained from original and copied maps and plans of the fortifications in archives in St. John�s, Ottawa and London, England.

Mr. Furey said: "Once the archival research was compiled, a map was produced projecting the outline of the early fortifications in relation to the present day site. This was accomplished using a modern topographical map of the site and superimposing on it a plan of the fort converted to the same scale and orientation. Our archaeologists then used this information to make predictions as to where key site components should have been located.

"The archaeological testing now under way will determine whether the predictions made in the report regarding areas of high archaeological potential are accurate. The results of this initial investigation will be evaluated on an ongoing basis to determine the scale of the archaeological excavation required at the site."

This initial site investigation is expected to continue for at least two weeks. Thereafter, plans will be finalized for the archaeological excavation which will continue until the end of August, when construction is expected to commence on the new building.

The design of "The Rooms" will ensure that the major archaeological features of Fort Townshend located on the construction site will be protected during construction of the new building. The current archaeological program associated with "The Rooms" will not be a complete excavation of the site. Rather, the archaeological features located on the ground floor of the building site will be covered and protected for future investigation as part of the interpretative plan for the new building. "The Rooms" is scheduled to be open to the public in 2003.

Media contact: Mary MacNab, Communications, (709) 729-0928 or (709) 682-0366.

2000 04 26 12:10 p.m.