Rare 250-year-old rosary unearthed at Michigan colonial fort

Archaeologists in northern Michigan have unearthed a rare artifact from a historic French and British colonial outpost on the Straits of Mackinac.

Archaeologist Elizabeth Kerton works on House Site E at Colonial Michilimackinac 
in July 2015. The site yielded an intact Roman Catholic rosary in June 
[Credit: Mackinac State Historic Parks]

On June 23, an intact Roman Catholic rosary was dug from an excavation site at Colonial Michilimackinac, an 18th-century fort and fur trading village that's been reconstructed as an open air museum over the past 50 years.

The rosary — rare for being found intact — is approximately 250 years old, estimated Lynn Evans, curator of archaeology for Mackinac State Historic Parks.

State parks archaeologist James Dunnigan found the rosary, made of ivory beads with brass links, while excavating at the home of French-Canadian fur trader Charles Gonneville, who worked the area between the 1730s and 1750s.

The assumption is that the rosary belonged to Gonneville or a family member.

Evans said excavators commonly dig up old beads, lead shot, nails, broken glass and other minor items that would have fallen through floorboard cracks.

"To find something intact is very unusual," Evans said. "There's got to be an intriguing story behind that and we'll try to figure out what it was."

Ivory and brass link rosary found at site of 18th century home in 
Fort Michilimackinac [Credit: Mackinac Historic State Parks]

Evans said the rosary likely belonged to a French family because the British who occupied Michilimackinac were primarily Anglican.

The French gave Fort Michilimackinac to the British in 1761 following their loss in the French and Indian War. The British occupied Michilimackinac until construction of a superior fort on Mackinac Island in 1781. Buildings that weren't moved to the island were burned and the mainland fort was abandoned.

Excavations at Michilimackinac began in 1959. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark the next year. It has become a popular tourist draw that includes actors in period garb, live reenactments and cannon firing demonstrations.

Where the rosary was unearthed has been under excavation for the past eight summers. The last intact find at the fort was a pocketknife about 4 years ago, Evans said.

The rosary will go on display at the fort's Treasures of the Sand exhibit this fall.

Author: Garret Ellison | Source: MLive [July 04, 2015]