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The island, which sits roughly 300 kilometres southeast of Halifax in the Atlantic Ocean, was once inhabited by life-saving crews who rescued and recovered ship wrecks during the mid-19th to mid-20th century.

More than 350 vessels have been wrecked due to the rough seas, fog and submerged sandbars surrounding the island, earning it the title “Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

Evidence of those early occupants — everything from pots, pans and toiletries to stoves, bathtubs and horseshoes — are sprinkled around the 42-kilometre long island, said Burke.

The difference at Sable is that there has been no human disturbance.

But new evidence uncovered during the survey reveals that humans lived on the island as early as the mid-1700s, said Burke.

“That’s a 100-year period — 1750 to 1850 — for which we have no knowledge currently as to why there was a structure there or people living in that area,” said Burke. “This is new information and it’s going to require additional research.”

The island, known for its population of feral horses, is essentially a giant sandbar. Burke said the artifacts he found were once buried beneath the sand, but wind erosion has brought them to the surface.

Burke said that presents a challenge, as normally archeologists can date items by how deep they are buried in the ground. He said the wind also acts as a “sand blaster,” which has removed many identifying markings or labels from items.

“The difference at Sable is that there has been no human disturbance. There have been no machinery or shovels moving things around. The wind is the primary culprit and it has removed all the strata so now we have the old and new side-by-side,” said Burke.