Archaeologists searching for First Nations artifacts at the Moncton airport are wrapping up their dig.

The work was being done to preserve any artifacts before a new runway at the airport is built.

Archaeologists dug close to 700 holes looking for evidence that aboriginal people used the area hundreds of years ago.

Albert Ferguson, the manager of archaeological services for the provincial government, said in three of those holes they found a total of seven stone flakes, indicating aboriginal people were using stone tools in the area.

"Flakes are basically your stone chips that you get when you manufacture or sharpen a stone tool," said Ferguson.

Seven flakes were recovered from the excavation at the Greater Moncton International Airport. (Courtesy of Jason Jeandron)

He said the flakes probably came from a stone knife or arrowhead.

"They were probably just going through pursuing some game or something during hunting and sharpened their tools at that location for a short period of time," he said.

He said they prove that aboriginal people were hunting in the area hundreds of years ago.

He estimates the flakes to be about 600 years old. The seven flakes will be stored in Fredericton.

Ferguson said compared to other digs, in terms of significance, this dig is fairly low on the archeological radar

"If you looked at the spectrum of significance, if you consider that a site of ceremonial or burial nature would be the highest significance, if you were talking about a First Nation site, this would be at the other end of the spectrum," he said.

Ferguson said aboriginal groups were notified of the find.

He said since nothing else was found, the Fort Folly First Nation has given its permission to allow construction of the runway.