Ami, Henry M. (Henry Marc), 1858-1931

Henri-Marc Ami (or Henry Mark Ami) had two careers — as geologist and archaeologist. Biographers disagree on whether he was born in Geneva, Switzerland or Belle-Rivière, Quebec, the son of a Swiss Protestant pastor who emigrated to Canada. Ami studied under J. W. Dawson at McGill where he earned his B.A. in 1882 and M.A. in 1885. He received one DSc. from Queens University in 1892, and another from McGill in 1902.
He became a member of the Geological Survey of Canada in 1882 and worked with them until 1911. From 1899 to 1901 he was president of the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club and editor of their journal, the Ottawa Naturalist, from 1895 to 1900. He belonged to numerous learned societies, including the Royal Society of Canada; he also was a member of the Royal Geological Society of London, Royal Astronomical Society, as well as various anthropological and archaeological societies. His research produced more than 200 titles total, including a brief biographical sketch of Dawson that went through fifteen English editions between 1900 and 2018. Among his most notable works are “Synopsis of Geology in Canada” (1891) and “Synopsis of the Geology of Montreal” (1896).
His life changed emphasis in 1911 when he resigned from the Geological Survey and moved to France where he began a new career in prehistoric studies, mainly based in the Dordogne. It was there that he founded the École Canadienne de Préhistoire, jointly funded by the French government and the Royal Society of Canada. He began initial excavations at Combe-Capelle where he worked from 1926 to his death in Menton, France, in 1931.