Archaeology
The archaeology service of the DAC of Reunion is in charge of the territories of Reunion, and by convention of the territory of Mayotte and TAAF (French Southern and Antarctic Territories). Still very recent, it was created in 2010, the activity of this service is booming to develop archaeology in territories that remain to be explored.
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Archaeology is a scientific discipline whose object is the study of past civilizations and their relations with the natural environment, based on the analysis of material remains and their context. In this way, it enriches the knowledge of the past of the human being on the island, revealing remains that are sometimes unknown, often ignored, thus bringing a factual dimension to the history of Reunion Island.
The chronological field of SRA (Regional Archaeology Service) activities covers modern and contemporary periods. In the state of knowledge, the first traces of settlement correspond to the definitive colonization of the island, effective from 1663. The settlers and their economic projects rapidly and profoundly shape the landscapes of Reunion, especially on its coastal fringe, which is a habitat, work and exchange area. However, the highlands of the island, mountainous and rugged reliefs that cover near 80% are not deprived of vestiges. the islets and cavities were used for human occupation, first as refuge for runaway slaves and then as places of sustainable settlement for the “little whites”.
It was not until 2010, when the Regional Archaeology Service was created within the Department of Cultural Affairs - Indian Ocean, that the discipline was organized and professionalized on the island. Since then, more than 100 operations have been carried out on the territory (surveys, planned surveys and excavations, diagnostics and preventive excavations). Pursuing an objective of increasing our knowledge of past populations, they echo a necessary research programming whose strong axes are the origin of settlement, the structuring of territories, lifestyles (habitats, funeral practices), the social and economic organization, but also quite specific subjects such as chestnut or the first scientific explorations of the XIXe century.
Within the DAC, the Regional Archaeology Service is responsible for ofinventory, to protect, ofstudy, conserve and promote archaeological heritage It programs and monitors scientific research in the regions and disseminates the results.
Its missions :
Save :
The service prescribes and controls preventive archaeology operations (diagnostics and excavations), made necessary by space planning operations. The operations are carried out by various authorised operators.
Study:
The service is responsible for coordinating archaeological research activities in the territories concerned.
It investigates programmed excavation authorizations, collective research programs and issues ad hoc authorizations for sounding and prospecting.
Inventory and keep :
The service draws up the archaeological map, records incidental discoveries, ensures the preservation of scientific documentation resulting from excavations (archives of excavations, archaeological furniture) notably through the CEC (Centre de Conservation et d'Étude)
Promote:
It ensures the dissemination and promotion of research.
This policy, which is characterized by a willingness to collaborate with all the partners, is divided into several specific or permanent actions (support and encouragement for the publication of research, exhibitions, European Archaeology Days, European Heritage Days, publications, congresses, seminars) and partnerships with schools in the field of arts and cultural education, particularly with the educational briefcases and archaeocapsules.
Our partners:
- The OVPF
- Reunion University and researchers
- Regional Inventory and Heritage Service
- The CEROI
- The TAAF
What exactly are archaeologists doing in the field?
All remains and other traces of the existence of humanity, including the preservation and study, including excavations or discoveries, constitute elements of the archaeological heritage, to trace the development of the history of humanity and its relationship with the natural environment (Book V of the Heritage Code).
In the field, the work of the archaeologist consists in uncovering these remains (structures, objects, etc.) according to a scientific protocol to restore the history of the occupation of the site. To do this the archaeologists proceed to the analysis of the successive occupations by digging the layers of the different levels.
All field observations are recorded and associated with surveys. All the information is then recorded in a scientific report.
If the archeologist’s emblematic tool is the forged trowel, the spectrum of instruments used in the field is very wide. It ranges from dental instruments to mechanical excavators, from drones to GPS and geophysical devices.
Finally, archaeologists call on other specialists in the framework of multidisciplinary studies: historians, geomorphologists, archaeozoologists (for fauna) palaeobotanists (for flora), but also physicists, restorers of heritage, physicists...
Scheduled Archaeology:
Programmed operations are fundamentally driven by scientific research objectives.
These transactions:
> are subject to State control by means of a prefectoral authorization issued after the opinion of the competent scientific authority (CTRA)
> are carried out by professional or volunteer researchers, authorised according to their skills;
> are conducted under the supervision of scientific staff from the Ministry of Culture and Communication.
Under certain conditions, the State may also automatically carry out archaeological operations on land not belonging to it.
The financing ofPlanned Archaeological Operations: These operations may receive financial support from the State through DAC grants or external credits.
Any underwater or underwater mission is managed by the DRASSM .
Preventive Archaeology:
The purpose of preventive archaeology is to ensure, on land and under water, within the appropriate time frame, the detection, conservation or safeguarding by scientific study of archaeological heritage affected or likely to be affected by public or private works contributing to the development. It also covers the interpretation and dissemination of the results obtained.
The State therefore ensures that the requirements of scientific research, heritage conservation and economic and social development are reconciled.
As such,
> it prescribes the diagnostic operations enabling the detection of the archaeological heritage and, where appropriate, the excavations necessary for its conservation by scientific study. These measures can also lead to conservation in situ ;
> it carries out the tasks of monitoring and evaluating these operations;
> ensures the dissemination of the results obtained.
The diagnosis allows, through studies, prospections or field work, to highlight and characterize the elements of the archaeological heritage present on the right of way of a development project and to present the results in a report.
The preventive excavation aims, through studies, field and laboratory work, to collect the archaeological data present on the site, to carry out the analysis, to ensure understanding and to present all the results in a report.
On the basis of the State’s requirements, the developer, the project owner, chooses the operator and signs a contract with him that integrates the scientific intervention project, and the conditions of its implementation (costs, deadlines, etc.).
The preventive archaeology operators are:
> theInrap
> the archaeological services of local authorities benefiting from an authorisation;
> private operators (companies, associations, etc.), who have received State approval.
The financing preventive operations differ depending on whether they are diagnostics or excavations.
A preventive archaeology fee is payable by any public or private person planning to carry out work affecting the basement.
The financing of the excavations is based on the payment of the price of the service, fixed by contract between the developer and the operator. In some cases, the developer may receive financial assistance from the National Fund for Preventive Archaeology (Fnap).
This fund allows, under certain conditions, to finance excavation operations according to the nature and destination of development projects.
Any underwater or underwater preventive operation is managed by the DRASSM.
CONTACTS:
> regional curator of archaeology : Virginie Motte, tel.: +262 (0)2 62 41 99 48
> deputy to the regional curator of archaeology: Olivier Royez-Perez, tel.:+262 (0)2 62 41 99 45
Photo: Ocean Quadrangle in Saint-Denis. View from the east of the oven under study in zone 1 RO (photo credit: P. Georges/ Inrap)
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