The archaeology of death (also called archaeothanatology, field anthropology, or the archaeological anthropology of burials) provides insight into human remains discovered in archaeological contexts.
From the 1980s, a new approach to burial excavations put the deceased – the reason why the grave exists – back at the centre of discussions around burial practices. By reconstructing how the deceased was placed in the grave and related burial practices, archaeologists take into consideration more than the grave goods or tomb architecture. This gives them insight into the behaviour and beliefs of the living and, as a result, helps them understand how their societies were organised.
The discovery of skeletons on the coast of Saint-Paul, revealed when a cyclone hit Réunion in 2007, led to the creation of the regional archaeology department in 2010. During an excavation close to the Cimetière Marin in 2011, archaeologists recorded some fifteen graves in a burial ground outside the main cemetery but heavily used, with burials regularly disturbed to make room for new ones.
In 2012, tests pits within the walls of the cemetery of Lazaret no. 2 at La Grande Chaloupe in Saint-Denis revealed five burials.
These discoveries raised a number of questions and spurred the development of the discipline on the island. New archaeological sites will no doubt raise more questions about burials, including the burial practices of marron slaves and how epidemics were managed in the 19th century.
To learn more, visit the page devoted to this subject on the Inrap website.
