Le Morne Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LE MORNE CEMETERY: ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS THE 2010 SEASON: EXCAVATION, RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION Report commissioned by and prepared for the Truth and Justice Commission, Port Louis, Mauritius. Prepared and submitted by Krish Seetah4 From reports by Diego Calaon1, Saša Čaval2, Joanna Appleby3 & Emma Lightfoot3 1. Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia; 2. Inštitut za antropološke in prostorske študije, Ljubljana; 3. McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge; 4. University of Central Lancashire, Preston, & The Truth and Justice Commission, Port Louis. THE CONTENT OF THIS REPORT REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF THE AUTHORS AND IS SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT REGULATIONS. NO PART SHALL BE USED WITHOUT PRIOR AGREEMENT AND DUE ACKNOWLEDGMENT. THIS IS TO INCLUDE TECHNICAL DETAILS. The Truth and Justice Commission: Report Prepared on the Archaeological Excavations at Le Morne Cemetery, 2010. PROJECT TEAM Krish Seetah (Project Director) Diego Calaon (Site Director) Saša Čaval (Site Director) Aleksander Pluskowski (Site Director) SPECIALISTS Joanne Appleby (Human Osteologist) Emma Lightfoot (Isotope Analyst) Will Goodwin (aDNA Analyst) 2 The Truth and Justice Commission: Report Prepared on the Archaeological Excavations at Le Morne Cemetery, 2010. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................................3 LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................4 LIST OF TABLES ..........................................................................................................................4 SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...............................................................................................................5 FUNDING BODIES........................................................................................................................5 TECHNICAL SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................6 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................7 1.0. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................10 1.1. Description of the Cemetery and Graves ......................................................................11 2. FIELDWORK PROCEDURE ......................................................................................................12 2.1 Excavation Procedure.....................................................................................................12 3. FIELDWORK RESULTS ...........................................................................................................14 3.1 Summary of Excavated Graves......................................................................................15 4. POST-EXCAVATIONAL ANALYSIS .........................................................................................27 4.1 Post-excavational Techniques........................................................................................28 4.1.1 Isotopic Methods.....................................................................................................28 4.1.2 Osteology Methods.................................................................................................28 4.2 Post-Excavational Results..............................................................................................29 4.2.1 Results of Isotopic Analysis ...................................................................................29 4.2.2 Osteological Findings .............................................................................................30 4.2.1.1 Demography ....................................................................................................31 4.2.1.2 Nutritional deficiency and non-specific stress ................................................32 4.2.1.3 Dental disease and caries.................................................................................32 4.2.1.4 Infection and trauma........................................................................................34 4.2.1.5 Activity............................................................................................................36 4.2.1.6 Other conditions ..............................................................................................37 5. DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS .................................................................38 5.1 Discussion of archaeological evidence ..........................................................................38 5.2 Discussion of Isotopic Analysis.....................................................................................38 5.3 Discussion of Osteological Finds...................................................................................40 6. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK ........................................................................................45 BIBLIOGRAPHY .........................................................................................................................46 APPENDIX I: CATALOGUE OF ANALYSED SKELETAL REMAINS ...............................................49 3 The Truth and Justice Commission: Report Prepared on the Archaeological Excavations at Le Morne Cemetery, 2010. LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 1: Map of Mauritius (capital starred) and site location (Google Earth©).........................10 Fig. 2: Site prior to clearance showing evidence of voodoo practice.......................................11 Fig. 3: Site – prior to clearance. ...............................................................................................13 Fig. 4: Site – post clearance......................................................................................................13 Fig. 5: Coffin outline evident in grave no: 29, as revealed through careful excavation...........14 Fig. 6: Layout of grave no. 1. ...................................................................................................15 Fig. 7: Position of both skeletons ‘in situ’, foetal body is in opposing direction to adult........16 Fig. 8: Basalt structure of grave no. 06. ...................................................................................17 Fig. 9: Skeletons ‘in situ’..........................................................................................................17 Fig. 10: Basalt structure of grave no. 07. .................................................................................18 Fig. 11: Skeleton ‘in situ’ with detail of grave goods (coins) under the cranium. ...................19 Fig. 12: Basalt structure of grave no. 08. .................................................................................20 Fig. 13: Skeleton ‘in situ’. ........................................................................................................20 Fig. 14: Basalt structure of grave no. 25. .................................................................................21 Fig. 15: Skeleton ‘in situ’. ........................................................................................................21 Fig. 16: Basalt structure of grave no. 29. .................................................................................22 Fig. 17: Skeleton ‘in situ’. ........................................................................................................23 Fig. 18: Basalt structure of grave no. 30. .................................................................................24 Fig. 19: Skeleton ‘in situ’ showing waterlogging that occurred at hightide. ...........................25 Fig. 20: Basalt structure of grave no. 33. .................................................................................26 Fig. 21: Skeletons ‘in situ’ showing upper and lower individuals. ..........................................27 Fig. 22: Bone collagen stable isotope results. ..........................................................................29 Fig. 23: Enamel carbonate stable isotope results......................................................................30 Fig. 24: Metacarpal from Structure 1 with pseudopathology...................................................31 Fig. 25: Mandible from Structure 7 showing teeth mostly destroyed by caries.......................33 Fig. 26: Periodontal disease in the maxilla from Structure 33/Lower......................................34 Fig. 27: Fused vertebrae from Structure 8................................................................................35 Fig. 28: Enthesophyte on right ulna from Structure 8..............................................................36 Fig. 29: Spondylolysis in the lumbar spine from Structure 7...................................................36 Fig. 30: Os acromiale from Structure 33/Lower. .....................................................................37 Fig. 31: Height distribution of slaves from the area around Le Morne in 1826.......................42 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Age and sex determinations of the individuals from the cemetery at Le Morne .......32 Table 2. Dental pathologies at Le Morne .................................................................................33