Stadacona: a vanished Iroquoian village

Try to imagine the landscape in front of you some 500 years ago. Stadacona, an Iroquoian village, stood on the banks of the Saint-Charles River. Although archaeologists have yet to find any traces of the village, it is generally believed it was located close to the river, on the southern bank. The area is now heavily urbanized, leaving little chance of finding traces of the village.

Between 500 and 800 people lived in approximately 20 longhouses surrounded by fertile fields. 

The Iroquoians grew corn, squash and beans, and they also hunted and fished for food.

In 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier and his crew sailed up the St. Lawrence and were welcomed by the inhabitants of Stadacona. 

 The French spent the winter near Stadacona, on what is now the Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site in the Limoilou district.

To be on the safe side, they decided to settle on the other riverbank. Winter was harsh for the French, who were hit hard by the cold temperatures and scurvy, a fatal disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. Fortunately, they were saved by a white cedar tea called annedda, prepared by the Iroquoians.

When explorer Samuel de Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence River for the first time in 1603, Stadacona had vanished, and the Iroquoians had deserted the St. Lawrence Valley. The reasons for their departure remain unknown. Disease, climate change or conflict between Indigenous Peoples are among the most likely hypotheses.