April 21, 2006 Source: :
http://www.capebretonu.ca/capebretonu_main/newsrel/NewsDetail.asp?NewsID=189 Historical Archaeology Course Will Bring Students to Fortress Louisbourg
Taught by a Top Curator with the Canadian Museum of Civilization (Sydney, NS) - Students interested in historical archeology will soon have the opportunity to take a course at the world-renowned Fortress Louisbourg from a top national curator. Cape Breton University and the Fortress are partnering to offer Historical Archeology, taught by Jean-Pierre Chrestien, the Curator of Quebec Archaeology with the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. The six-credit course starts in June and runs for four weeks. Students enrolled in the course will be able to take advantage of the Fortress’s remarkable collection of on-site educational and scholarly resources: over five million historical artifacts, 750,000 pages of microfilmed archival records, and thousands of linear metres of original textual records. "Historical Archaeology is one of those courses that makes Cape Breton University unique: it combines theory and practice and utilizes one of North America’s largest and most impressive heritage sites," says Dr. Andrew Parnaby, Assistant Professor with the CBU Department of History. The course combines in-class instruction at CBU with extensive fieldwork at Fortress Louisbourg. Throughout the four weeks, the course introduces students to the interdisciplinary nature of historical archaeological research. Students will learn how to excavate an archaeological site, process artifacts, and interpret this archaeological heritage. "Beginning with a fragment of pottery or a piece of bone, students in Historical Archaeology are able to reconstruct the experiences and cultures of people from the early 18th century. Piece by piece the students can make history come alive in a way that the best books or best professors can’t," notes Parnaby who is also Co-Chair of the Louisbourg Institute at CBU. Chrestien is an archaeologist, historian and specialist in material culture and contributes to the study of collections and to the creation of knowledge regarding the archaeology and history of New France. >From 1985 to 1995, he directed applied research for the development of exhibits for the Canada Hall at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. He then researched the history of European fishermen in Newfoundland and Cape Breton. Chrestien’s current research is focused on the inhabitants of the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River, particularly those who originated in Normandy and Brittany. He has collaborated with various specialists in historical archaeology and the history of material culture, focusing especially on the study of French ceramics in North America, and on disseminating history through exhibitions and publications. Course openings are still available; some prerequisites requirements. For more information on the course, call Dr. Parnaby at (902) 563-1286 or e-mail andy_parnaby@capebretonu.ca. -30- Contacts:
Jean-Pierre Chrestien,
Curator, Québec Archaeology
Canadian Museum of Civilization - Archaeology and History
Gatineau, QC
Tel: (819) 776-8369 / Fax: (819) 776-8300
E-mail: jean-pierre.chrestien@civilisations.ca Dr. Andrew Parnaby
Assistant Professor, Department of History
Co-Chair, Louisbourg Institute
Cape Breton University
Tel: (902) 563-1286
E-mail: andy_parnaby@capebretonu.ca Kelly Rose
Communications Officer
Cape Breton University
Tel: (902) 563-1638
E-mail: kelly_rose@capebretonu.ca
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