Prehistory and Aboriginal People

Traces of the ancestors of Québec's Aboriginal peoples at Place-Royale date back nearly 5,000 years.

These traces of Place-Royale's earliest inhabitants and their way of life have been revealed through archaeological research. Thousands of years later, in 1535, Jacques Cartier met the Iroquois who lived in Stadacona, a village at the foot of Cap aux Diamants. After the St. Lawrence Iroquois died out, the Montagnais of Québec lived in the area. At that time, Québec was known as Uepishtikueiau.