It was heralded as one of Quebec City’s earliest fortifications, but was it?

MONTREAL — A debate has emerged over an archeological find after an expert suggested that a wooden structure heralded as one of Quebec City’s first fortifications is not nearly as old as claimed.

Archeologists digging in 2018 came across what they described as a 15-metre segment of a wood palisade, built in 1693 by French troops and settlers to protect against attacks from British and Indigenous groups.

But a tree-ring dating expert at Universite Laval who has analyzed two fragments of the wood says his data suggests it is from trees cut down decades later — in 1751 and 1775.

Geography professor Martin Simard says he’s not a historian or archeologist but maintains the wood could not have been used to build something in the 17th century.

Ruralys, the firm that uncovered the remnants, noted the existence of Simard’s study in their final report but nonetheless concluded the discovery belonged to the 1693 palisade.

Dominique Lalande of Ruralys says the tree-dating report is only one element of the research, and the soil conditions, artifacts found on site, construction techniques and carbon-dating all point to a late-17th century military structure.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan 21, 2019

The Canadian Press