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Archaeologists Make Exciting Find at Colonial Michilimackinac

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Archaeologists working at Colonial Michilimackinac made an exciting discovery at a dig site on July 4.

“We had a fun find July 4, a pocketknife, also known as a clasp knife. It was found near a post in the central root cellar. It is 3 1/2 (inches) long, 1 (inch) high at the tip of the blade peak,” said Dr. Lynn Evans, Curator of Archaeology for Mackinac State Historic Parks, in a statement. “I don’t know yet if it is French or British, or exactly how old it is.”

The excavation site is House E of the Southeast Rowhouse at Colonial Michilimackinac. Numerous finds have been made at the site over the years, including a Compagnie des Indes lead seal dating between 1717 and 1769, a brass sleeve button with an intaglio bust on it, a potential structural post dating to the original 1715 fort, and engraved “Jesuit” trade ring, a brass serpentine sideplate for a British trade gun; complete remnants from a creamware plate: and other items.

House E was first occupied by Charles Henri Desjardins de Rupallay de Gonneville.

The archeological dig at Colonial Michilimackinac began in 1959 and is one of the longest-running archaeology programs in North America.

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