The historiography of the archaeology of slavery in the French West Indies

Author(s): Noura SAHNOUNE

Year: 2013

Summary

This paper poses the questions "what is an archaeology of slavery? why has it only developed in French archaeology in the last twenty years?" In the 1990s a number of organizations began to take an interest in the archaeology of slavery, and worked towards a commemoration of the institution. In the French West Indies, the DRAC and Inrap began to undertake CRM work on cemeteries and other sites associated with slavery. 

At the same time, activist organizations in the French West Indies began to work toward the preservation of the heritage of slavery, and sought to bring this heritage to public attention. By establishing a collective heritage, they sought to reclaim their history and creole identity.  The role of heritage and cultural tourism will also be explored in relation to local training and heritage preservation.

Cite this Record

The historiography of the archaeology of slavery in the French West Indies. Noura SAHNOUNE. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Leicester, England, U.K. 2013 ( tDAR id: 428401)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -4.777; min lat: 41.367 ; max long: 9.553; max lat: 51.091 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 425