From myth to reality: archaeobotany at the Cartier-Roberval Upper Fort site

AbstractThe first official attempt at settlement in the St Lawrence Valley is recounted in a number of historical documents. These accounts were aimed at justifying the colonization project of Jacques Cartier and Sieur de Roberval in Canada; they provide little information on many aspects of the colonists' daily life. The recent discovery of the site where these two explorers settled in 1541–43 and the archaeological excavations carried out there provide an excellent opportunity to re-examine their colonization project. It is from that perspective that this paper presents some of the results of an archaeobotanical analysis conducted at the site.