West Pubnico Aboiteau ProjectIn 1990, local residents found a couple of boards sticking out of an eroding beach on Double Island, West Pubnico, southwestern Nova Scotia. They returned to the site in 1994 and removed the overburden of marsh mud and gravel to reveal the presence of a wooden sluice known to the Acadians as an aboiteau. An aboiteau is a simple sluice used by the Acadians to drain salt marshes for the purpose of crop cultivation. The fertile dykelands produced a variety of crops such as hay, wheat, peas and cabbage. This method of reclaiming marshlands was initially used by the Acadians during the first half of the seventeenth century and continued to be used on into the twentieth century.The first visit to the site by Nova Scotia Museum staff took place on October 3, 1995. It was readily apparent that the aboiteau was in danger of being lost to erosion as it was already partially exposed to the elements. The dyke which was associated with the aboiteau has completely washed away. Upon return to the Nova Scotia Museum a second trip to the site was planned to remove the structure. Ted D'Eon, local pharmacist, agreed to provide the excavation crew made up of members of the Pubnico community. The archaeological excavation was conducted under Heritage Research Permit A1995NS24 held by the author, Stephen Powell.
The Excavation | Description | Conservation | Conclusions | 
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