Abstract

In August, 1610, the London and Bristol Company for the Plantation of Newfoundland established a colony at Cupers Cove (now Cupids) in Conception Bay, Newfoundland. The Cupers Cove colony was the first English colony established in Canada. Although never a commercial success, the plantation marked the beginning of permanent European settlement in Newfoundland. Archaeological work was conducted at Cupids during 1973 and 1974 but failed to locate the Cupers Cove site. During July 1995 an archaeological survey of Cupids was conducted under the direction of the author and an early seventeenth-century site was discovered. Initial excavations were also undertaken to determine the site's state of preservation and potential for further excavation. Historians have generally held that the Cupers Cove colony was abandoned during the 1620s. However, the data recovered in 1995 suggests that the colony may have continued much longer than had previously been believed. Artifacts indicate an ongoing occupation or utilization of the area throughout most of the seventeenth century. The paper will detail the techniques used to locate the site and describe the results of the survey.