The biggest mystery in Cape Enrage, N.B., is also its smallest.
A five-centimetre tall artifact with a human-like face, carved from the mandible of a white-tail deer,was discovered in the community in 1998.
It was unearthed by a University of New Brunswick anthropology student, who took it to Dr. David Black for analysis.
“It's completely unique. I've never seen anything like it,” said Black.
“If (students) say they're going to show me something, usually it's a stone tool. That's what I expected him to bring out, but this was something totally different.”
Though he can't speak in absolutes, Black believes the figurine is roughly 500 years old, almost certainly carved by someone of aboriginal descent.
He believes it was likely used as a therapeutic device by some kind of healer.
“I think it probably has religious and symbolic value,” Black said. “I think that it wasn't intended to depict a human, so much as a sort of supernatural figure or being.”
Black completed his research in 2008, but it flew under the radar until a woman from Harvey, N.B., started looking for more answers.
“When I showed it to the people that know everything about this area, they had never heard of it,” said history enthusiast Alison Elias. “It was a complete mystery to everybody, even interpreters at the rocks.”
Curious onlookers gathered in Hopewell Cape Saturday night to learn more about the enigmatic artefact.
Coastal erosion in the Bay of Fundy has made discoveries like this one incredibly rare.
“It would be unusual to find any artefact older than, say, 1,000 years ago that was on a marine shoreline that's still in the ground, as opposed to out in a tidal zone somewhere,” said Black.
The improbability of another discovery won't deter local history buffs, who still plan on searching for the next great artefact – secrets the Cape could still be hiding.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Cami Kepke.
