A Block in Time, a new book jointly published by the Trent University Archaeological Research Centre (TUARC), the Peterborough Chapter of the Ontario Archaeological Society (OAS), and the Peterborough Museum and Archives, is the winner of the 2017 Ontario Archaeological Society Award for Excellence in Publishing. The award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in publishing works related to northeastern archaeology.

The volume was edited by Dirk Verhulst, who graduated from Trent with an M.A. in Anthropology in 1981, and Rita Granda, with layout and design by a team including Kim Reid of the Peterborough Museum and Archives, and Kerrilyn Sheward of the Trent University Print Shop.

Co-editor Mr. Verhulst states that this was “no ordinary archaeological project.” The book examines the archaeology and history of one city block, and offers fascinating insights about the lives of the people who once lived and worked there, starting with the Indigenous peoples who were on the site for thousands of years, to the present-day occupants of Robinson Place, home to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Maps, illustrations, and photographs that enhance the text are a particularly attractive feature of the book.

The publication of A Block in Time is part of an OAS and Peterborough Chapter initiative to rescue local archaeological information from the “grey literature” of Provincial licencing reports—a great way to make archaeological findings and stories available to broader audiences in an attractive, readable format.

TUARC, a unique research institute established in May, 2001, is dedicated to the investigation and understanding of past cultures through studies of material culture and environmental evidence.

A Block in Time can be found at Chapters, the Peterborough Chapter of the OAS, the Peterborough Museum and Archives, and the Trent University Archaeological Research Centre. Proceeds from the book support the OAS Peterborough Chapter’s community outreach activities.