To make memory material : preliminary geophysical surveys at two potential burial sites in Birchtown, Nova Scotia

Abstract

By invitation from the community, a geophysical survey was performed on two potential Black Loyalist burial sites in Birchtown, Nova Scotia, in a preliminary effort to verify local traditions regarding their existence and location. This thesis investigates the suitability of geophysical techniques on these late 18th -century burial sites; drawing on oral histories, historical documentation, and comparison against similar burial sites to explore potential social and geographic influences on early Black Nova Scotian burial traditions. Longstanding oral traditions and ethnographic observations of memorial behaviours exhibited by members of the Black Loyalist descendent community appear to support one surveyed site as a memorial space, despite ambiguous geophysical results obscuring its historicity. The results highlighted a contrast in how materiality is used to define Black Loyalist burial landscapes from the archaeological, historical, and community perspectives, and underscores the importance of community engagement in guiding archaeological investigations where physical and historical evidence is sparse.