French Colonial Era

Overlay map showing excavations at 810 Royal relative to historic maps and modern lot boundaries, creator Elena Ricci. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

The modern lots have shifted since the French subdivision of the block, but in both 1722 and 1731, Colonial era structures are shown extending into the 810 Royal lot.  In this case, the locations of excavations were dictated in part by where unobstructed ground was located, as building slabs associated with the collapsed building still occupied some of the lot.

Native American ‘Bayougoula Incised’ Pottery. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

The first recorded owner of the portion of the block now occupied by the 810 Royal lot was Francois Fiot, followed by a French-Canadian fur trader named Augustin Langlois.  A wide variety of Native American pottery sherds found in the early levels at the site indicate the importance of trade and exchange with the indigenous peoples of the New Orleans area.  It has proven difficult to match Contact era pottery like this with Native nations mentioned by name by the French, but the diversity of types found in the city suggests a widespread and extensive network of interactions.

Unfired Musket Ball. Courtesy of UNO ARC.

Personal objects such as buttons, smoking pipe pieces, musket balls, and gunflints were found in the early Colonial era layers at Royal Street.  The excavation also produced a rich assemblage of animal bone, including an abundance of fish bone, reflecting early residents’ foodways. This material is being incorporated into a larger project examining environmental change and coastal fisheries in southeast Louisiana.