Reefs & Relics: An Ichthyo-Archaeological Approach to Cultural and Environmental Conservation in Andavadoaka, Madagascar

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Maritimity in the Indo-Pacific World" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The village of Andavadoaka, located in the Morombe district of Befandefa in Southwestern Madagascar, is home to the Vezo fishing people. The coral reefs around the area have been the focus of conservation efforts due to their high biodiversity as well as threats to the ecosystem. These threats negatively impact the Vezo, as the sea is their main source of subsistence and livelihood. The Morombe Archaeological Project aims to investigate the change in human-environment interactions over time in the context of the region’s history, as well as its relation to dynamic coastal ecosystems. The project combines archaeological work with conservation efforts in Morombe, studying both past and present human and environmental interactions. The project improves community-based archaeology through knowledge co-production, and combines Traditional Ecological Knowledge with outside research and technology. Analysis is supported through the creation of an osteological fish reference collection of modern fish from the area, and part of the project has involved developing strategies to build and maintain the collection within the community. Archaeological work to reconstruct past ecosystems and environments through the analysis of fish bones explores differences in biodiversity, subsistence strategies, and technologies over time. This can help to inform current conservation efforts.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Maritimity in the Indo-Pacific World

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53191