Robert Pinchon (naturalist)
Père Robert Pinchon was a priest, naturalist and archaeologist who lived most of his life on Martinique.
Life
He was born in Provin, Seine et Marne, in 1913. After his ordination to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, he studied science at university, obtaining a doctorate. He was appointed professor at the diocesan college in Fort-de-France, Martinique. He was happy with an appointment where much scientific categorisation of fauna had yet to be done, which he expressed with the words "que ce soit pour toujours".Career
Robert Pinchon arrived on Martinique in 1945, where he took up the post of professor of natural sciences at the College Seminary. He was an educator who opened up the natural world to young Martinicians and networks of fellow scientists. He was a corresponding member of the National [Museum of Natural History, France|National Museum of Natural History] in France. He also called the first congress of the International Association for Caribbean Archaeology, bringing together all those studying the Caribbean and the South American mainland. In 1952, he discovered a pre-Columbian site at Petite Rivière; part of a series of discoveries made at that time, evidencing Amerindian life in La Désirade, including the vaulted structure at Pain, on the plateau, and of the Kikali cave dig directed by Jacques Petitjean Roget. He also excavated sites at Marigot and Sainte Marie, discovering Caribbean and Arawak pottery created by populations which had gone by the end of the 15th century.He was introduced to archaeology by his predecessor at the college, Father Delawarde, learning by taking part in digs on known sites, and investigated the North East and South east of Martinique. The results of these investigations allowed him to confirm Father Delawarde's theory, who argued that Martinique stored evidence of two civilizations, living on Martinique in succession; the Arawak and Caribs. This was established through the study of ceramics. Fr. Pinchon contrasted the Arawaks, who created three sided pots, with the Caribs, who used the colombin method, which produces pots which are considered less fine. In a display of his collection in 1997 for IACA, a range of 658 items could be displayed, found across Martinique, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante, St Kitts, St Lucia and Saint Vincent. His work also took him to Guatemala and French Guiana.
Publications
1960 Programme de la classe de 5e. Les Sciences d'observation aux Antilles.1961 The Archaeological Problem in Martinique. A General View 1st IACA Congress, Martinique 1961 Vol.I: 69 & 75
1969 Faune des Antilles françaises, volume 1 : Les oiseaux and volume 2 : Les papillons.
1967 Quelques aspects de la nature aux Antilles.
1971 D'Autres aspects de la nature aux Antilles.
1973 Nature antillaise.
1976 Le Dynaste Hercule dans les Petites Antilles.