Before driving to L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, we stopped at Port aux Choix National Historic Site.
Where is Port aux Choix located?
Set on Newfoundland’s northwestern coast, Port au Choix is a vibrant fishing community located midway along The Viking Trail on Route 430. For two hours, plan to explore the region’s rich archaeological finds, rare plants and fossils, limestone barrens, and coastal hiking trails. The port town is less than a 2-hour north of Gros Morne National Park and a 3-hour north of the Deer Lake airport.
Exploring a Living Landscape
Attracted by the sea’s rich resources, people have lived at Port aux Choix for more than 6,000 years. A large sacred burial ground bears witness to the marine-based technology, economy, and spiritual culture of the first people to live here- the Maritime Archaic. The remains of a large settlement at Phillip’s Garden paint a vivid picture of the material and intellectual culture of the Groswater and Dorset people 3,000 years later. After the arrival of Europeans, Indigenous people cautiously traded with fishermen at Benie Island. Discover the ancient peoples who journeyed through this unique landscape and connect with today’s thriving Newfoundland and Labrador Indigenous cultures.
Point Riche is a Dorset Palaeoeskimo site that was occupied from 1900 to 1440 years ago. The remains of at least eighteen houses can be seen here as shallow bowl-shaped depressions in the grass. Not all dwellings are contemporaneous. Archeologists speculate that this site was associated with nearby Phillip’s Garden. Point Riche would have been a more comfortable summer location since it is always cold and windier and has fewer flies.
Point Riche may also have been used as an alternative harp seal hunting location to Phillip’s Garden. In the occasional year when the beach at Phillip’s Garden was blocked with late winter pack ice, the waters off Point Riche would still have been open.
The people of Port aux Choix: Dorset Palaeoeskimos
Who were they?
The Dorset Palaeoeskimos were an artic-adapted people who occupied most of Arctic Canada and Greenland and extended their range as far south as Newfoundland. They are not the direct ancestors of the Inuit.
When were they here?
Dorset Palaeoskimos lived on the island of Newfoundland from 2100 to 1200 years of age. In Labrador, they date from 2800 to 500 years ago.
Where did they come from?
They came from the Canadian Arctic via Labrador.
What happened to them?
Archeologists do not know what happened to the Dorset Palaeoeskimos. By the time they left Newfoundland 1200 years ago, the climate had warmed, and seal hunting conditions may have been affected. Then, by 600 years, they also disappeared from most of the Canadian Arctic, possibly linked to the arrival of the Thule people, who are the ancestors of the Inuit
What did we see?
-Sacred Burial Grounds: Visit the Gathering Circle in the town of Port aux Choix and reflect on the sacred burial grounds of the Maritime Archaix people. Thousand of years ago, when sea levels increased, this area was an island. It was a special place to honor and lay to rest their loved ones.
-French Bread Oven: Enjoy freshly baked bread topped with local jams from a reconstructed French oven.
The history of the bread ovens is quite interesting; here about it: For centuries, French fishermen arrived on the shores of Newfoundland in the spring to fish and dry cod. Their installation was very basic since the fishing treaty dictated the French were not allowed to build permanent dwellings on the shores. To satisfy their needs, the fishermen built open-air bread ovens similar to the communal ovens of their native France.
As part of the 2004 Celebrations, seven bread ovens have been built on the island of Newfoundland. They are in Port aux Choix, Quirpon, Conche, Cape St.George, Coachman’s Cove, Shoe Cove, and Placentia.
-Seal for all Seasons: Seals have always been necessary to people living in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Dorset Palaoeskimo at Phillip’s Garden harvested the harp seals that still pass this coast twice yearly. When the hunting ended, the people dispersed, some to spend summer here at Point Riche.
Residents here still depend on seals for the livelihood that the skin, meat, and oil provide. Traditional methods are still used in the preparation of these products today.
-Point Riche Lighthouse: Explore the areas around the Point Riche Lighthouse. It is accessible by road, and caribou are often seen grazing nearby. While there, learn more about the Dorset presence at Point Riche.
The day we stopped there, it was so cold that we booked an Airbnb for the night instead of sleeping under a tent!!! We needed that break during our road trip and were lucky to have this sweet place.
