Microbial Ecology

The study of archaeological sites is essential in our understanding of past human activities and of our history, through the analysis of artefacts or cultural landscapes. Archaeological data is often incomplete, generating new hypotheses rather than exposing an indubitable truth.

​

In this project, we propose to use the study of fossil microbial communities in archaeological sites, as a marker of past human activities. Indeed, the diversity and structure of communities are closely linked to their abiotic environment. We focus our study on the archaeological site of Fort Ville-Marie (Pointe-à-Callière museum), which represents one of the first European establishments in North America.

​

Project led by Valérie Betrand (undergraduate alumni)

​

Collaboration: Point-à-Callière Museum (archeology department: Hendrik Van Gijseghem, PhD, Louise Potier, Curator and Chief Archaeologist, and François Gignac, Conservation Technician)