Archaeologists have been excavating in the Mouillage district of Saint-Pierre, Martinique, offering a rare glimpse into the city’s development from its early days to its destruction during the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée.
Saint-Pierre was founded in 1635 as the first permanent French colony on the island of Martinique. It emerged as the island’s most important economic and cultural centre, being known as “the Paris of the Caribbean”
Despite limited archaeological remains from the early settlement period, recent excavations by archaeologists have revealed four successive phases of occupation, from the late 1600s to the present.
The earliest phase corresponds to a pumice quarry where stone was extracted for construction. This was followed in the 18th and 19th centuries by a rectangular building associated with port-related activities.
Later, the site evolved into a residential quarter, where excavations revealed brick, tile, and bluestone-paved surfaces, along with a complex pipe network supplying running water to houses and ornamental basins.
The last phase is evidenced by the remains of a two-storey house with tile floors, an outdoor kitchen, a bread oven, and a basin. Household objects like porcelain, earthenware, and glassware reflect a high standard of living, a norm found in prosperous homes in Saint-Pierre in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Underneath those historical layers, the excavation has also uncovered an even older story. Two volcanic deposits, dated to 60 BC and AD 1300, contain evidence of a major Native American occupation.
This settlement, dated to the Late Ceramic Age (AD 750–1100 AD), includes pottery, stone tools, animal remains, postholes, refuse pits, and six burials. The finds indicate a way of life centred on fishing, supplemented by hunting and the exploitation of marine resources.
Collectively, these finds illustrate the long and intricate history of Saint-Pierre, stretching from pre-Columbian settlement to colonial port city, preserved below the new skyline.
Sources : Inrap
