Publications
The Early Modern New Found Land
Historical archaeology has significantly revised traditional narratives of early modern Newfoundland, particularly challenging the notion of colonial failure. Key excavations at Red Bay Basque Whaling Station, L’Anse aux Meadows, and seventeenth-century colonial sites in Cupids and Ferryland have uncovered critical traces of European transatlantic expansion. These findings, alongside research on the French colony of Plaisance and the ethnohistory of the Beothuk people, highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of early modern settlement and migration in the region.
Subsistence Whaling and the Norse Diaspora: Norsemen, Basques, and Whale Use in the Western North Atlantic, CA. AD 900–1640
Between the 16th and early 17th centuries, Basque whalers established a network of whaling stations along the Strait of Belle Isle, with Red Bay as their primary hub. They harvested an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 whales, primarily right and bowhead species, capitalizing on the abundant marine resources brought by the cold Labrador Current. This subsistence whaling venture marked one of North America's earliest large-scale entrepreneurial efforts, blending Norse diaspora influences with Basque maritime traditions. The study reconstructs this historical whaling practice through archaeological evidence and documentary records, revealing its economic significance and ecological impact during a pivotal period in Atlantic history.
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