Dr. James Alexander Tuck, known to all simply as Jim Tuck, came to Newfoundland in 1967 to investigate the province’s earliest peoples, the Maritime Archaic, when one of their burial grounds was accidentally uncovered in Port au Choix, on the Great Northern Peninsula. Jim was the first archaeologist at Memorial University. His interest in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history led him to investigate just about every culture that visited or lived here. In fact, before Jim’s research, little was known about the province’s earliest inhabitants. He literally wrote the book on the pre-contact and early history of the province, from its first settlers, some 9000 years ago, to the beginning of European exploration and fisheries in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. His academic acumen and strong emphasis on professional and innovative fieldwork produced some of the finest archaeologists in Canada and abroad.
The Colony of Avalon site is the best example of community-based archaeological research in Canada. Jim was responsible for this. He always encouraged engagement with the people living in the towns where his excavations occurred. From Red Bay, Labrador to Ferryland, Jim is admired and respected. He truly cared for the places and people of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This Memorial Library is part of Jim’s enduring legacy and his gift to future generations of scholars. We invite you to explore, learn, and enjoy all it has to offer.
Dr. James A. Tuck (June 28, 1940 – May 19, 2019)
Zoom in to view the Provincial Archaeology Office Tribute to Jim Tuck [PDF]
