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Archaeology

Stone tool found at a recent CPAA dig site, 2017.

Maine has a rich prehistoric and historic archaeological record spanning thousands of years. Wabanaki, the people of the Dawnland, have inhabited the land we now call Maine for at least the past 13,000 years.  Until recently, the Brick Store Museum’s collection contained  few artifacts that represent this indigenous history. While the collection reveals meaningful information about indigenous people and prehistoric trade and social networks of the region, unfortunately, for the majority of these artifacts, the site from which they were recovered is unknown. This limits what we can learn from them. When artifacts are recovered without proper archaeological investigation into the context in which they are found, significant information is lost.

Current Work

In 2017, the Brick Store Museum partnered with the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust (KCT), Tim Spahr (Principle Investigator) and Gemma Hudgell (consulting archaeologist) to form the Cape Porpoise Archaeological Alliance (CPAA). The CPAA’s research has focused on the islands and intertidal zone off of Cape Porpoise Harbor that has already been affected by sea level rise. This work is part of the Museum’s larger mission to promote the preservation of Kennebunk’s cultural resources through research and identification of archaeological sites and  historic buildings. Historic preservation is a crucial component of community projects and the planning and development process. In Spring 2021, the Museum installed an exhibit displaying tools and items found during previous years’ digs in “Cape Porpoise: Archaeology in the Archipelago.” Learn more…