Archaeology
Map of Port Louis, surveyed in 1774
Port Louis figures in a number of views, maps and plans of the 18th and 19th century, along with a rich documentary record. These are held in archives in Britain, the Falkland Islands, Spain, Argentina and France. There are also views and detailed plans exist for the site from the first years of the settlement. There are two excellent British maps dated 1842 and 1843. Our own mapping of the site with modern instruments shows that these are very accurate.
The earliest map dated 1765, a year after the settlement's foundation, was located in the French National Library. This has been an important find. It has enabled us to see what the settlement looked like in its early years as well as to identify the earliest buildings in the islands. One of these was the location of the first house ever built in the Falklands as well as the residence of the first Governor, an elegant cruciform building and the French fort.
The survey was carried out over three seasons from 1994-96 by Rob Philpott of Museum of Liverpool Life and David Barker, formerly of the Potteries Museum, Stoke on Trent. The survey's aims were:
The surviving archaeological remains at Port Louis are very extensive, extending for over a kilometre beside an enclosed lagoon. Over a hundred separate features in the settlement were recorded, including the remains of over fifty buildings and other features. Amongst these are: