Artifact Distribution and its Interpretation of a Shipwreck
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One of the most important aspects in the analysis of the archaeological record is artifact distribution. This analysis helps explain the significance of recovered artifacts and their associated relationships on a site, then attempts to determine their relevance in terms of the history and society of the time. This aspect of archaeology has over time, developed into a careful and time consuming study.
The need to thoroughly map a shipwreck site and obtain exact provenience data is a highly debated issue. Some insist that a shipwreck, by its very nature, is disturbed and offers nothing to warrant an in-depth study on artifact relationships or distribution. Quite the contrary, an artifact’s location, whether original, or as a result of the wrecking process, provides valuable data that is lost unless subjected to precise recordation techniques. Maintaining archaeological standards, even on extensively disturbed sites, can, through careful examination of the artifact distribution, yield important information pertaining to the site itself.
The archaeological remains of shipwrecks are typically composed of a variety of materials. These materials might include hull remains, rope, ballast, pitch, ceramics, glass, galley bricks, wood, floral and faunal food items, iron and or copper fasteners, ship’s hardware and rigging, tools, weaponry, personal effects, and navigation instruments. Because of the variety of items associated with shipwreck sites, one must make the following assumptions to develop the research potential of artifact relationships:
- Shipboard activities occur and will be reflected in the archaeological record.
- Specialized activities will produce artifact patterns relative to those activities.
- Shipboard activities may overlap in certain areas.
- The data will be skewed relative to the discard pattern, wrecking process and salvage attempts.
- The record may not be complete because whole portions of activity loci (vessel structure) may be completely absent from the record.
An exploratory or colonizations ship, such as La Belle, is designed to be self-sufficient and to maintain a shipboard community for periods of months before a landfall. The ship and all the material culture it is carrying are specifically selected for a defined purpose. Space is at a premium, and the ship’s stores and cargo hold are not likely to be carrying a great deal not pertinent to the mission. Yet the men and women on board still bring with them personal possessions that might reestablish a link to the more familiar and less frightening world from which they came. These artifacts will give a great deal of insight into the beliefs, hopes and fears of the crew and passengers. These individuals find themselves crammed into a world for months at a time below deck. Within this area, all social functions must continue with no relief from one another, and all of these functions have some material culture associated with them that will be reflected in the artifact assemblage.
Artifact Distribution and La Belle
On La Belle, the importance of artifact distribution is magnified, as it applies to determining relationships between a large number of artifacts found in association with one another in undisturbed layers. A site, such as La Belle, that has undergone careful excavation and mapping is able to provide information in respect to pre and post wrecking activities, and therefore give archaeologists and historians a more accurate understanding of 17th century maritime practices.
The tremendous number of artifacts recovered during the excavation phase of La Belle affords a unique and exceptional opportunity to conduct a distributional analysis. With intact artifact assemblages and a full range of extant cultural data, an in-depth distributional and pattern analysis can be produced. This distributional information, though not ascertainable solely from either historical documents or artifact analysis, is necessary for the overall interpretation of the site. This site and its vast treasury of complimentary historical documents can reconstruct a detailed picture of life onboard La Belle, as well as the goods, tools, and equipment the French brought to colonize and trade in the New World.
Historical documents can help researchers recreate La Belle’s final days. Using the journals of Henri Joutel, Minet and the Abbé Esmanville as well as Spanish accounts, in conjunction with a detailed distributional study, a better understanding of the events that took place onboard La Belle can be revealed. The documentary research allows us to compare and contrast the historical data against the archaeological record. These comparisons will enable us to investigate and recognize distributional patterns and differences that, in turn, will help identify common cultural elements characteristic of 17th century French sites. Distributional information obtained during the excavation is one of the most important aspects that will contribute to our knowledge and understanding of 17th century French trade and colonization. La Belle’s unique preservation combined with the THC’s demanding excavation techniques will create an unparalleled reconstruction of 17th century shipboard life.
