Port au Choix National Historic Site of Canada
Learning Experiences
Maritime Archaic Indian exhibit at Port au Choix National Historic Site©Parks CanadaAt the Visitor Centre you will find...
- A 12 minute film providing an overview of the cultural history of the area and introduces you to the archaeologists who worked at this site.
- Exhibits and original artifacts of the four prehistoric cultures found in the area.
- Reconstructed archaeological site of a Dorset House
- Topographical map showing variations in sea levels through time
- "Ask the archaeologist" interactive answers the most commonly asked questions on each culture.
- Knowledgeable guides providing tours through the exhibits and information about the many years of archaeology this site has witnessed.
Check schedule upon arrival for guided activities.
Attend the guided walk to Phillip's Garden Archaeological Site:
The trails lead you to Phillip's Garden where the Groswater and Dorset Palaeoeskimos once lived. This site is one of the largest and richest Dorset Palaeoeskimo sites in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Within a two hectare meadow that extends over three raised shorelines are the remains of what were once fifty houses. A keen eye can see faint outlines of these semi subterranean homes even today. The limestone based soil in the area has helped to preserve the abundance of numerous bone artifacts that in part has made Port au Choix such an important archaeological find.
Once at Phillip's Garden it is easy to see why the Palaeoeskimo people chose to make this place their home. The garden has an impressive view of the Atlantic Ocean. So good in fact that on certain days you can look straight across and see Quebec 60 miles away. From here Palaeoeskimo hunters would walk off on the ice, or travel in small open boats to hunt the harp seals that migrate past the area each spring. This yearly supply of seals, along with locally available berries and small animals supplied food, skins and oil for the whole year.
Interpretive panels and plaques at Phillip's Garden and Phillip's Garden East and West orient to each of those sites. For the visitor who would like a more in-depth explanation on the activities that occurred at those sites, we suggest participating in one of the guided tours offered by Parks Canada interpreters.
Explore the site itself
Visit the various archaeological sites on the peninsula . Interpretive panels are installed to help visitors understand what culture occupied the site and the time and use of the site.
Explore the fossil-rich limestones along the coast -rocks originating from ancient tropical seas.
Sit on the edge of the flat cliffs in an atmosphere little changed since ancient times.
Walk or drive to Point Riche where the light tower overlooks the sea. Take time to chat with local people. You will find them friendly and informative.
While you're in the neighbourhood... Take the time to visit some of the other parks and historic sites in the area.
L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, 228 km to the north, is the only authenticated remains of a Viking-period Norse Settlement in North America, a World Heritage Site!
Red Bay National Historic Site, in southern Labrador is a 16th -century Basque whaling station. Tour the town's Visitor Centre, then visit the archaeological site on Saddle Island.
Gros Morne National Park, 160 km to the south, features some of the continent's most intriguing geology and breathtaking landscapes.
Bird Cove, Recent archaeological digs have uncovered evidence that the area was inhabited by many of the same cultures who lived at Port au Choix. On display at the community owned visitor centre are many interesting artifacts discovered in these ongoing excavations.
L'Anse Amour National Monument Site, This archaeological site was discovered in 1975. This burial of a 12 year old Maritime Archaic Indian child is the earliest known ceremonial mortuary in North America. The complexity of this burial is indicative of its significance.
Point Amour Provincial Historic Site, This lighthouse was built in 1857. It is the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada and the second tallest in Canada. The lighthouse residence houses an extensive series of exhibits of the maritime history of the Labrador Straits, and the burial at L'Anse Amour.