Olivier BAUCHET, Christelle SENG THE PHANTOM OURCQ CANAL (SEINE-ET-MARNE): an unfinished 17th century work of engineering from a landscape archaeology perspective

Abstract

Trial excavation carried out in 2024 in the Meaux district (Seine-et-Marne) revealed deep cuttings with backfill dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the remains themselves were hard to interpret, analysis of written sources, old maps and aerial photographs connected them to substantial works undertaken in the last quarter of the 17th century to create a first navigable canal. This unfinished engineering work, 30 km in length, was part of a policy initiated by Jean-Baptiste Colbert to develop networks of communication.

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