Volunteers are working alongside Parks Canada archeologists to uncover the foundation of an 18th-century homestead. (Lindsay Carroll/CBC)

An archeological dig is underway in P.E.I. National Park this week in the hopes of revealing new information about how early Scottish settlers lived on the Island.

The location of the late 1700s homestead at Stanhope was revealed in 2008, when the remnants of an old garbage pile was discovered. Parks Canada staff and the local historical society, about 30 people in all, hope to get a good look at the foundation this week.

"We really don't know what the structure was like," Parks Canada archeologist Rob Ferguson said Monday.

"The cellar is large, it could have a stone floor, could have a wooden floor, could have an earth floor."

The first day of digging also revealed small artifacts: a piece of window glass and a small piece of ceramic with a blue decoration.

Few written records

John Palmer, a member of the Stanhope Historical Society, said the house likely belonged to one of two families, the Lawsons or the Bovers, but there is little information to go on.

"Really, the records going back into the late 18th century are very poor," he said.

Palmer is hoping that what they dig up will help paint a clearer picture.

There's been a lot of interest in the dig. Only a few workers are needed at a time, so the 30 volunteers are divided among shifts. Volunteer Anne Galle is an enthusiastic participant..

"You can't wait till the next day to see if anybody's found anything in the site that you were digging," said Galle.

"You're putting together somebody else's lives that were living here before. So that's very interesting."

The dig will wrap up Friday.