Shelley’s Island Acrylic

Historic Fleur de Lys has a long and rich history! Actually it is prehistoric! Over the past 5000 years it has been home to a number of cultures! It is home to the oldest known industrial mine in the province! The Soapstone quarry was likely in use first by Groswater Paleoeskimo before the Dorset Paleoeskimo! Radio-carbon dating and stratigraphic evidence indicate the continuous use of the soapstone beginning about 1600 bp (before present time) to 1200 bp – so from AD 400 -AD 800. Also evidence of Maritime Archiac culture at the Shelly garden base camp so perhaps the initial use of the quarry may pre-date the Dorset by approx 2000 years – over 4000 years ago! It was a base for the French migratory fishery as well and Shelley’s Island was in the middle of it all as it was the site of one of the French ‘Rooms”.  The original is 18×24. This is a limited edition series with only 50 prints available.