The Scarcity of a Long Unbroken Winter: Archaeological and Historical Expressions of Winter Habitations of Newfoundland’s Early European Fisherfolk

Innovation and adaptability can flourish during periods of prolonged seclusion and separation. This paper explores the intersections of isolation, innovation, and connectivity through the winter house tradition, an occasionally derided but necessary practice for many early modern settlers in Newfoundland and Labrador. Discussions are woven around themes of architecture, resource extraction, provisioning strategies, consumption, reuse/repair, leisure, and knowledge transfer. The archaeological remains from winter house sites form the basis of these discussions but are episodically intertwined with the writings of Edward Wix, who, in 1835, chronicled his journey across parts of the island of Newfoundland between winter and early summer.