I’ve just returned from the most extraordinary archaeological site about an hour’s drive from our bustling Montreal streets. Standing there, watching researchers carefully brush away centuries of soil, I couldn’t help but feel a profound connection to those who walked this land thousands of years before us.
The discovery near Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu has archaeologists buzzing with excitement. A team led by Dr. Marie Tremblay from Université de Montréal uncovered stone tools, pottery fragments, and hunting implements dating back approximately 4,000 years. This places the artifacts in what experts call the Late Archaic period, a time when nomadic hunter-gatherers were beginning to establish more permanent settlements in our region.
“What makes this find particularly significant is its pristine condition,” Dr. Tremblay explained as she showed me a perfectly preserved stone arrowhead. “The soil composition here created ideal preservation conditions, giving us an unprecedented glimpse into daily life along the Richelieu River corridor.”
The excavation began rather serendipitously after local resident Pierre Lavoie noticed unusual stone fragments while walking his dog last spring. “I’ve always been interested in history,” Lavoie told me, his eyes crinkling with pride. “When I saw something that didn’t look natural, I contacted the university right away.”
What followed was a methodical archaeological survey that confirmed Lavoie’s amateur eye had spotted something truly remarkable. The Quebec Ministry of Culture has now designated the site as provincially significant, allocating emergency funding to complete the excavation before winter sets in.
Among the most intriguing finds is evidence of extensive trade networks. Several artifacts contain materials not native to Quebec, suggesting these early inhabitants maintained contact with groups hundreds of kilometers away. A small pendant crafted from copper likely originated from the Great Lakes region, while distinctive shell beads appear to have come from Atlantic coastal communities.
Dr. Richard Williams from McGill University’s Anthropology Department, who wasn’t involved in the discovery but has visited the site, called it “potentially the most important archaeological find in the Montreal region in decades.”
Walking carefully between the marked excavation grids, I noticed how the team meticulously documents everything. Each artifact’s position is photographed and recorded using GPS coordinates before being gently removed. It’s painstaking work that requires immense patience.
“We’re essentially reading a story written in soil layers,” explained Sophie Beauchamp, a graduate student working on the site. “Each level represents a different time period, and we’re working backward through history.”
The artifacts will eventually find a home at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum in Montreal, though museum officials say it may take up to two years to properly catalog, preserve and prepare them for public display.
For the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) community at nearby Kahnawake, the discovery carries special significance. Elder Joseph McComber has been visiting the site regularly as a cultural advisor. “These aren’t just objects to us,” he shared, his voice carrying the weight of generations. “They connect us directly to our ancestors who understood this land intimately.”
The archaeological team has worked closely with Indigenous representatives to ensure cultural protocols are respected. Some ceremonial items discovered may ultimately be returned to the community rather than displayed publicly.
For Montrealers curious about our region’s ancient past, this discovery offers a remarkable opportunity. The site itself remains closed to the public during excavation, but the research team has launched an interactive website where people can follow the discoveries in real-time.
What strikes me most, watching the archaeologists work in their careful rhythm, is how this discovery challenges our perception of Montreal’s history. Long before Maisonneuve set foot on our island, before the first European ships navigated the St. Lawrence, complex societies thrived here, leaving behind these tantalizing clues to their existence.
Dr. Tremblay believes this is just the beginning. “Based on preliminary ground-penetrating radar surveys, we suspect the site extends much further than our current excavation,” she said. “We could be uncovering new findings for years to come.”
As I drove back to Montreal yesterday afternoon, I couldn’t help seeing the landscape differently. The familiar highways and suburbs suddenly seemed like the thinnest of veneers over a much deeper, richer history – one that connects us all to this remarkable place we call home.
For those interested in learning more, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum will host a special lecture series starting next month featuring the research team and their ongoing discoveries.
