Marin cemetery

In 2007, Cyclone Gamède destroyed part of the esplanade next to the Marin cemetery in Saint-Paul, exposing human bones in a coastal bank. This discovery, which led to the creation of the regional archaeology service in Réunion, was explored by archaeologists in 2011.

Excavation of a forgotten cemetery

Between the Marin cemetery enclosure, built in 1788, and the embankment giving onto the beach, the test pits made in 2011 revealed fifteen or so graves dating from the first half of the 19^th century. The dead were placed on their backs with their heads turned westwards, and were buried in coffins of which the nails and a few fragments of wood have survived. Only a copper button and a bone bead were found in the graves.

The spatial organisation of the graves, the chronology of the site and the identification of physical deficiencies and muscular stress suggest this cemetery was used to bury slaves and/or indentured workers. But since the island was hit by a series of epidemics during this period, the victims may also have been buried hurriedly outside the cemetery site.

Dental mutilation

The skeleton of a young woman whose teeth had been sharpened to a point – a form of intentional dental mutilation performed while she was alive and still practiced today by some African tribes – helps us understand the origins of this individual. This cemetery is one of the few excavated sites in the world, along with others on the islands of Guadeloupe, Barbados, Saint-Martin and Manhattan in New York, where this cultural practice has been found.