Colline du Théâtre

The hill overlooking the village of Saint-Gilles-les-Bains in the district of Saint-Paul has been called the "colline du Théâtre" since the construction of an open-air theatre there in 1970. Archaeologists performed field-walking surveys in 2016 and archaelogical excavations in 2019.

Field walking survey

Despite the wild appearance of the dry and scrubby savannah and a lack of historical data, archaeologists evaluated the archaeological potential of the area by conducting field-walking surveys to explore two sites visible on an aerial photograph dating from 1950. The sites included drystone masonry and an enclosure at Site A, of which the surface remains are the best preserved and structured. The finds suggest the site was occupied before the 20^th century.

The first field school in Réunion

Given the archaeological potential of the site established during the survey and the scant documentary evidence unearthed by historians, an excavation planned by archaeologists was organised in conjunction with students from the Université de La Réunion. They identified two occupation phases on Site A. Chinese ceramic finds dated the first to the late 18^th century or early 19^th century. It contained a small platform with 4-metre-long sides. Boarding nails found around it suggest the existence of a wooden elevation. The shape and position of the site and part of a uniform suggest it was used as a lookout. The second phase featured a wide 400 sq.m. enclosure, suggesting the site was used for livestock breeding until it was abandoned in the 20^th century.