The Matitanana Archaeological Project
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The Matitanana Archaeological Project: Culture History and Social Complexity in the Seven Rivers Region of Southeastern Madagascar by William D. Griffin A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology) in The University of Michigan 2009 Doctoral Committee: Professor Henry T. Wright, Chair Professor Carla M. Sinopoli Professor John D. Speth Associate Professor Nicola Terrenato © William D. Griffin 2009 Acknowledgements Ela nihetezana lava volo He, who has not cut his hair for a long time, has long hair. (Malagasy proverb) There are many people I need to thank for helping me complete this work, but above all I would like to thank my advisor Henry Wright, my collaborator Ramilisonina, and my wife Lynne Griffin. Henry enthusiastically taught me archaeology and helped me at every turn. Ramilisonina shared his culture and family with me and made the fieldwork possible by translating and explaining our work to others. Lynne, in addition to her everyday support, brought her librarian eyes to bear on the details of this report, served as a field crew member the first season, and applied her competitive instincts and love of the unusual to me and to archaeology. I sincerely thank all three of them and hope they know how important they were to this project. There are many other people whose help was also vital for this project. I thank Carla Sinopoli for serving on my committee and for mentoring me for two years as her research assistant (despite the fact that I broke her hard drive). I would also like to thank John Speth and Nicola Terrenato for serving as committee members and Sue Alcock for reading and commenting on an early draft of this dissertation. Various people have helped out with the field work in different seasons, and I am grateful to all of them: Victor Razanotovo, Zoe Crossland, Voahangy Rafatro, Vonjy, Toky, Olga, and Joel Ramilison, and Richard Pierre, and the nine students from St. Charles Community College who joined me on the field school in 2005. I would also like ii to thank all of the people who bemusedly allowed us to search through their gardens. In Vohipeno I appreciated the help of Phillipe Beaujard, Pere Ami, Yabon ny Beta (Boto Pierre), and all of Victor Razanotovo’s extended family members. At Marovahiny I thank Yabon ny Gova and Sylvan for their assistance. In Antananarivo, I greatly appreciated the friendship and assistance of Chantal Radimilahy and the meals with her family. I thank Jean-Aime Rakotoarisoa for making the work possible in the first place as head of the Musee d'Art et d'Archeologie, and thank him for the logistical support the museum provided. The museum illustrators Rambeloarison and Jeannot are responsible for the professionally drawn sherds included here. Zoe Crossland inked a number of the sherd drawings as well, for which I am doubly grateful. Funding for this project came from the National Science Foundation, the Wenner- Gren Foundation, the University of Michigan’s Museum of Anthropology, Rackham Graduate School, and Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, and St. Charles Community College, and I am indebted to each of those institutions for their support. I thank my teachers for waking me up: James Farris, Shep Krech, Dick Gould, Ian Hodder, and the faculty at Michigan. And thanks for the general support and friendship to Jen Kiely, Marcus Woodburn, Jeff and Niki Bonevich, Monica Smith, James Snead, Preston Miracle, John Robb, Leah Minc, Chet Cain, Joe Harl, John Lynch, and Mike Henry. I thank my colleagues at SCC, and especially my friends in the social science department, for making it such a good place to be. I thank my family for their encouragement, brothers and sisters, mom and dad. I thank Josie and Henry for making me happy. And I thank Lynne. Any errors that remain, even after all this help, are solely my own fault. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ii List of Figures v List of Tables xiii List of Appendices xiv Chapter 1. Introduction 1 2. Physical context: The natural environment 22 3. Cultural context: Historical, linguistic, and ethnographic work in the region 44 4. Archaeological context 76 5. Matitanana archaeological project: Excavations and Ceramics 98 6. Matitanana archaeological project: Survey and Settlement Patterns 165 7. Matitanana archaeological project: Ancillary Projects 206 8. Conclusions 234 Appendices 241 Bibliography 549 iv List of Figures Figure 1.1. Madagascar with modern towns (colonial names in parentheses) and primary research area outlined 5 1.2. Sherds with possible appliqué letters from Marovahiny, site 46 14 2.1. Simplified geologic chart of Madagascar, with towns mentioned in the text 26 2.2. Manakara River with former channel shown 30 2.3. Rain Forest cover of Southeastern Madagascar before human settlement 35 2.4. Site map of Ambohabe 2, site 5 42 3.1. The eighteen commonly recognized ethnic groups of Madagascar 45 3.2. Concrete monument with Sorabé in Onjatsy 49 3.3. Photographed page of Sorabé writing 58 3.4. Early photograph of an Antemoro man 70 3.5. Antemoro woman carrying water in bamboo 72 4.1. Intensively surveyed areas of Madagascar (1975 – 2005) excluding the Matitanana Archaeological Project 82 5.1. Excavated sites and modern towns 101 5.2. Rim shape variation for two design motifs 118 5.3. Tattoos found on Madagascar’s east coast 137 5.4. Footed vessels from Matitanana and Isandra 141 5.5. Stone lids and possible pottery lid 143 5.6. Footed plate or lid from site 29 144 5.7. Excavations at Marovahiny, site 46 147 5.8. Artifacts from sondage 3, Marovahiny 149 5.9. Profile of sondage 3, Marovahiny 153 5.10. Sangilavitra site map, site 153 157 5.11. Chlorite-schist object, Site 62 S1L5 161 5.12. Profile, sondage 1 site 62, showing intrusive charcoal pit 163 6.1. The king’s village of Ivato on the banks of the Matitanana River 166 6.2. Sites of the lower Matitanana region 174 6.3. Marovahiny phase sites in the lower Matitanana River valley 179 6.4. Mananano phase sites in the lower Matitanana River valley 180 6.5. Mananano phase sites in the upper Matitanana River valley 181 6.6. Ambohabe phase sites in the lower Matitanana River valley 182 6.7. Ambohabe phase sites in the upper Matitanana River valley 183 6.8. Sangilavitra phase sites and hill forts in the lower Matitanana River valley 184 6.9. Sangilavitra phase sites and hill forts in the upper Matitanana River valley 185 v 6.10. Ampasimeloka phase sites and European/Modern ceramics in the lower Matitanana River valley 186 6.11. Ampasimeloka phase sites and European/Modern ceramics in the upper Matitanana River valley 187 6.12. Relationship between the earthworks of site 89 (with no artifacts) and site 90 (with Sangilavitra phase pottery) 189 6.13. Vataniovao, site 121 193 6.14. Marovahiny phase sites in the Farafangana region 195 6.15. Sangilavitra phase sites in the Farafangana region 196 6.16. All sites recorded in the Farafangana region 197 6.17. Mananano phase sites in the Manakara region 198 6.18. Sangilavitra phase sites and hill forts in the Manakara region 199 6.19. All sites recorded in the Manakara region 200 6.20. Sangilavitra phase sites and hill forts in the upper Mananano River valley 201 6.21. All sites in the upper Mananano River valley 201 6.22. River bank at Vatanio, site 122 204 7.1. Ancillary project areas 208 7.2. Potter in Andranotenina, site 210 212 7.3. Ampaho bowl, site 211 215 7.4. Chlorite-schist artifacts, Site 211 216 7.5. Pannetier (left) at the chlorite-schist quarry he discovered in 1972, and Ramilisonina (right) at the same location, site 240, in 1995 219 7.6. Map showing chlorite-schist quarries, sites 237 to 240 220 7.7. In situ chlorite-schist quarry blocks, with trowel for scale, site 237 221 7.8. Ytterbium (Yb) and Lanthanum (La) in Chlorite-Schist 230 7.9. Cesium (Cs) and Scandium (Sc) in pottery sherds 232 A1. Site 1, Ambles 243 A2. Site 1 artifacts 243 A3. Site 2, Amboanio 244 A4. Site 2 artifacts 245 A5. Site 3, Ambohabe 0 246 A6. Site 4, Ambohabe 1 247 A7. Site 4 artifacts 248 A8. Site 5, Ambohabe 2, site map by Lynne Griffin 249 A9. Site 5, Ambohabe 2, second site map by Zoe Crossland 250 A10. Site 5 sondage, south profile 251 A11. Site 5 sondage, east profile 252 A12. Site 5 artifacts 253 A13. Site 6, Ambohabe 3 254 A14. Site 6 artifacts 255 A15. Site 7 artifacts 256 A16. Site 8 artifacts 258 A17. Site 8 green ware. Photograph of fish design on “celadon” bowl 259 A18. Site 9, Mangarivotra (Ambohabe 6) 260 vi A19. Site 9 artifacts 261 A20. Site 10, Ambohabe 7 262 A21. Site 10 artifacts 263 A22. Site 11 artifacts 264 A23. Sites 12 to 15 artifacts 265 A24. Site 15, Ambohabe 12 266 A25. Site 18 artifacts 267 A26. Site 19, Ampandriamboroña 269 A27. Site 19 artifact 269 A28. Site 20, Ampandriamboroña Atsimo 270 A29. Site 20 artifact 270 A30. Site 21, Ampasimeloka 271 A31. Site 21 artifacts part 1 272 A32. Site 21 artifacts part 2 273 A33. Site 22, Anarintanana (Antanambaza) 275 A34. Site 22 artifacts 276 A35. Site 23, Andramakoko tomb remains 277 A36. Site 23 artifact 277 A37. Site 24, Ankarinarivo, cross section 279 A38. Site 24, Ankarinarivo 279 A39. Site 24 artifacts 280 A40. Site 25, Anosikely 281 A41. Site 25 artifacts 281 A42.