Le pollen, de la protohistoire à l'ère industrielle : paysage végétal et société à la pointe à Callière, Montréal, vers 1590 à 1879
This thesis describes the vegetal landscape at the Pointe à Callière (BjFj-101) in Montreal from about 1590 to 1879, drawing on pollinic data associated with archaeological and historical data to construct time graphs representing the variation of pollen through different layers dated archaeologically. This project covers the initial proto-historic and historic occupations until the industrial age: it aims to describe the conversion of the wooded glades landscape shaped by Indian occupation into the commercial backlot vegetation of the 19th century. The pollinic analysis of a horticultural area and a fireplace dated from 1615-1640 radiocarbon specifies the sequence of occupation from the late 16th century to the early 17th century, highlighting a proto-gardening phase. New data on the Callière gardens helps to better understand the organization of 18th century crops, and the urbanization of landscape at the dawn of the 19th century. The study of pollinic and chemical traces left in the soil by subsequent commercial occupations allows us a glimpse into the commercial and industrial vegetation of the Montreal port area. Spanning almost 300 years, the pollinic sequence of these events highlights the changing socio-environmental relations and offers a referential chronology on a prominent colonial and urban site in North America.
archaeopalynology pollen landscape archaeology colonization environmental archaeology urban archaeology pointe à Callière