What Can Archaeology Contribute to Understandings of Enslavement?

Archaeology has immense power to help us better understand the life ways of enslaved peoples, as a group of people who have little voice in the historical record. This presentation provides insights, based on concrete science, on how archaeology can contribute to our knowledge of agency in enslaved populations from Mauritius, revealing details of how they dealt with the debilitating conditions of their working lives. This event is a part of the Faculty Research Dinner Series.

Speaker

Krish Seetah is the Director of the ‘Mauritian Archaeology and Cultural Heritage’ (MACH) project, which studies European Imperialism and colonial activity. This project centers on the movement of peoples and material cultures, specifically within the contexts of slavery and Diaspora. The work of this project has focused on key sites in Mauritius and is based on a systematic program of excavation and environmental sampling. The underlying aims are to better understand the transition from slavery to indentured labor following abolition, the extent and diversity of trade in the region and the environmental consequences of intense, monoculture, agriculture.