From Pristine Ecosystem To Monocrop Agriculture: Ecological And Cultural Impacts Of European Colonization In Mauritius.

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "In Small Islands Forgotten: Insular Historical Archaeologies of a Globalizing World", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The colonization of Mauritius exemplifies the role played by humans in altering the ecosystems of remote islands. Previously uninhabited, it now has the highest population density of any African nation, and despite scant natural resources, also has one of the continent’s highest GDPs. Mauritius serves as an ideal case study for islands where the chronology is well attested historically, but remains poorly assessed archaeologically, specifically within the context of demographic and cultural flux.

This presentation outlines the rate and scale of ecological change, modeled against prevailing demographic and imperial transitions: once colonized, how did different culture groups contribute to environmental modifications? Through archaeological and anthropological studies conducted in Mauritius, this presentation reveals the different phases of colonization and transformation that occurred, which led to the current multicultural populace, and environmental degradation that typifies Mauritius.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• In Small Islands Forgotten: Insular Historical Archaeologies of a Globalizing World   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow