Archaeology

At Sable Island National Park Reserve, terrestrial and underwater archaeologists work together to uncover the history of one of Atlantic Canada’s most storied islands.

On this page

• Archaeological research on Sable Island
• Collaborative archaeology
• A unique history
• Known cultural sites on Sable Island
• Did you know?
• Related links

Archaeological research on Sable Island

Archaeological research helps us to understand who we are and who came before us. Parks Canada is privileged in its role as the steward of outstanding cultural and natural resources that represent the richness and diversity of Canada.

Past and present projects

A unique history

An ever-evolving island

Dynamic by nature, Sable Island is constantly undergoing change — in both size and shape. The island is approximately 42 km long and 1.3 km across at its widest point, though its dimensions are in constant flux due to the intense action of wind, waves and storms. This shapeshifting state is a defining characteristic of the island and is expected to be further accelerated by climate change.

“Graveyard of the Atlantic”

Historic records tell us mariners have known of — and visited — Sable Island from as far back as the early 16th century. For those early sailors, the island posed a major navigational hazard; with more than 350 recorded shipwrecks since 1583, it became known as "The Graveyard of the Atlantic."

The Nova Scotia government established the first lifesaving station on Sable Island in 1801, in an effort to reduce the suffering and loss of life and cargo brought on by these frequent shipwrecks. Ever since, there has been continuous human presence on Sable Island.

Over the past two centuries, Sable Island has been home to many walks of life and human endeavours, from the lifesaving stations to rescue shipwreck survivors, to the crews who staffed them and their families, to the subsistence farming that sustained them, to trans-Atlantic communications and long-term climatic monitoring services. Evidence of Sable Island’s human history lives on in the form of its famed horses — now wild animals — along with its old buildings and shipwreck debris.

While there is no known evidence of human use prior to the 16th century, Sable Island may also have been visited by earlier seafaring people, including the Mi’kmaq, given the available watercraft technology of the time, as well as the island’s larger size and proximity to the mainland during the last glacial period.

Known cultural sites on Sable Island

By 1895, Sable Island was home to a large main lifesaving station and four smaller stations along the island's 42-km length, as well as two lighthouses and numerous warming huts for shipwreck survivors.

Each station employed up to six men, who lived on the island with their families during their years of service.

Sable Island’s lifesaving stations closed in 1958; however, evidence of these stations remains today.

Known sites include: 

• Old Main Station
• East Lighthouse and Lifesaving Station
• West Lighthouse
• Number 2 Lifesaving Station
• Number 3 Lifesaving Station
• Number 4 Lifesaving Station