Montreal

Verdun archeological dig turns up 1,000-year-old artifacts

Archeology students digging at a site near the St. Lawrence river in Verdun have been turning up thousands of years of history.

Dig near the Lachine rapids is open to the public

Lab supervisor Marie-Pierre Gadoua describes cleaning artifacts at archeological dig in Verdun.

8 years ago
Duration 0:47
Students are unearthing thousands of years of history at a dig in Verdun.

Archeology students digging at a site near the St. Lawrence river in Verdun have been turning up thousands of years of history.

Located at the base of the Lachine rapids, this spot was once a popular portage route for First Nations communities.

The group has found ceramic, porcelain and arrow heads, as well as a glass bead that dates back to the 1700s.

"Sometimes, we're not finding very much, then suddenly, the smallest rock can change your outlook," said Dario Guiducci, an archeology PhD student at the Université de Montréal.

A group of students has found ceramic, porcelain and arrow heads. (CBC)

The dig, which is located close to historic house Nivard-de-Saint-Dizier, is a partnership between the borough of Verdun, the City of Montreal, and McGill University.

The dig is closed during the week of July 18.

It reopens the week of the 25, with the public invited to help the archeology students dust off artifacts.