Video: The treasures of the archaeological excavations of Parliament Hill

Watch this video to see archaeologists who worked on Parliament Hill as part of the Centre Block project. Artifacts and ruins are helping us understand the history of the buildings in the Parliamentary Precinct.

Transcript of the treasures of the archaeological excavations of Parliament Hill

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Text on screen: Public Services and Procurement Canada)

(Text on screen: This footage was recorded prior to the Government of Canada’s physical distancing guidelines. Canadians are encouraged to continue to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.)

[Shot of Stephen Jarrett standing in an excavation section on Parliament Hill.]

[Close-up shot of Stephen Jarrett speaking.]

(Text on screen: Stephen Jarrett, MA, Lead Archaeologist, CENTRUS.)

My name is Stephen Jarrett. I'm the lead archaeologist for CENTRUS, and we're conducting archaeological excavations east of the Centre Block.

[Shot of three archaeologists excavating on Parliament Hill.]

(Text on screen: PSPC is rehabilitating and modernizing Parliament Hill’s Centre Block. CENTRUS is providing architectural and engineering services for the project.)

[Shot of two archaeologists. One is excavating dirt, and the other is writing down information.]

This was the headquarters for the Royal Engineers Regiment, who were supervising the construction of the canals.

[Close-up shot of an archaeologist digging into the ground with a tool.]

[Close-up shot of Stephen Jarrett speaking.]

It started in the 1820s, the late 1820s, and went up until the construction of Parliament.

(Text on screen: Archaeology work ensures that ruins and artifacts are documented or preserved. It helps us to better understand Parliament Hill’s past.)

[Shot of the excavation site in front of Parliament.]

[Shot of three archaeologists excavating. Two are using buckets, and the third is documenting information.]

What's surprising is just how intact everything has been.

[Close-up shot of an archaeologist digging into the ground with a tool behind a stack of bricks.]

[Close-up shot of Stephen Jarrett speaking.]

[Close-up shot of a worker’s hands using a tool to displace dirt.]

[Shot of three archaeologists excavating, using shovels and other hand tools.]

[Close-up shot of a worker sifting dirt through a thin meshed box.]

Basically, the fill from the building debris, the first Centre Block, was used to fill up this area to get the grade that they had wanted, and it hasn't been very much disturbed since that time.

[Close-up shot of Stephen Jarrett speaking.]

[Close-up shot of a worker taking measurements with a tape measure.]

So, the entire occupation surface that they were living and using during that time has survived in incredible ways.

[Shot of Stephen Jarrett speaking with a worker.]

[Close-up shot of a large rubber container with file folders.]

No civilians, but the family of the soldiers were here.

[Close-up shot of a shovel with sample artifacts that were dug up.]

[Close-up shot of an open hand with a sample artifact.]

[Close-up shot of Stephen Jarrett speaking.]

[Shot of two workers. One is excavating dirt, and the other is taking photos.]

So, all the domestic and other pieces that you would find that the military used while they were here. All the cooking vessels, serving vessels that they would have used to eat, toys, marbles, figurines, the whole range of military paraphernalia.

[Shot of four workers. Three are excavating, and one is documenting information.]

[Shot of two workers. One is excavating dirt with a bucket, and the other is taking measurements.]

[Shot of Stephen Jarrett speaking with a worker.]

[Shot of two workers excavating.]

So, this specific spot that we're working in now, we're in the cook house area.

When we have a privy and all the kind of military features around the yard space, box drains, and other drainage features, and a variety of articles are related to the use.

[Close-up shot of hands arranging plastic letters on a signage board.]

[Shot of a worker taking a photo of the signage board identifying a section of the excavation site.]

[Shot of Stephen Jarrett speaking with a worker.]

It's an incredible opportunity to do work as part of the Centre Block rehabilitation project, and it's an incredible opportunity to do work on Canada's Parliament and this kind of early military occupation in Ottawa.

[Wide shot of the excavating site on Parliament Hill.]

(Text on screen: Archaeology is one of the many projects being done before construction starts on the Centre Block.)

(Text on screen: Check us out: facebook.com/PSPC.SPAC, instagram.com/pspc_spac, twitter.com/pspc_spac, youtube.com/PWGSCanada)

[Music stops]

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

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