Archeologists at the Fortress of Louisbourg are scrambling after a recent storm surge washed away parts of the coastline, revealing a 250-year-old defence wall long
thought destroyed.
Rebecca Duggan says the storm destroyed uncovered 30 metres of wall at the 18th-century French fortress on the eastern
tip of Cape Breton Island.
"We thought most of this wall had long eroded, but during the last storm it was just smack, exposed," said Duggan.
The storm also revealed a house foundation, a burial plot and a soldier's outpost, which is of great historical significance.
"It was to provide defence in case there was a beach landing, it wasn't meant for big guns or fighting off ships. There
just really isn't a comparison to this structure in North America or Europe in fortification design," she said.
Duggan said it would have taken years to excavate what the storm exposed in a day. She warned that another storm could
easily wash it all away again.
"It's a bit of a scramble to say, 'OK, this is what we have exposed, what do we need to do to record everything about this
feature before it's lost.'"
Robert Shea, who is working with the team of archeologists, says it's a fascinating experience.
"It's really quite amazing to see that handiwork and rub your hand over something some French mason built centuries ago."
With one-quarter of the fortress rebuilt, Louisbourg is the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortified town in
North America.
It has become a case study for archeologists who are trying to rescue heritage sites around the world from storm surges
and rising sea levels.
