Digging
Archaeology
Terrestrial
Madagascar
5 min
Introduction
Located off the coast of Madagascar was frequented by Europeans since the 16th century. The Portuguese were joined by the Dutch, followed by the English and the French. They came to trade as agents, but by the end of the 17th century, a new category of foreigners appeared: pirates. The height of piracy took place between 1680 and 1720, and the eastern maritime facade served as their base of operations. They primarily chose the northeast of Madagascar as their hideout, particularly the bay of Antongil, Foulpointe, and the island of Sainte-Marie. They are credited with the port development along the entire eastern coast. They formed a cosmopolitan group composed of members from various social backgrounds (nobles, former soldiers of the royal navy, or simple sailors), but with a predominance of English nationality. Their settlement in these places was driven by strategic imperatives, as their position allowed them to monitor ships on the route to the Indies. The pirates established in these areas quickly formed a coalition of interests with the local Malagasy populations, particularly the Betsimisaraka, who occupied the coastlines of the northeast coast, including the island of Sainte-Marie. The bay of Ambodifotatra on the island of Sainte-Marie appears in historical sources as a real pirate hideout between the years 1690 and 1730, likely the principal center of piracy in the Indian Ocean.
View of the bay of pirates, Sainte-Marie Island, Madagascar
J. Soulat
It should be noted that no land investigation has been conducted on Sainte-Marie Island, whether regarding ancient, colonial, or even pirate occupations. However, the area has already been the subject of partial underwater investigations. They revealed the first evidence of the presence of pirates with the remains of some ships. It seems that they were intentionally sunk to create an anthropogenic underwater barrier to defend the bay against the French and British royal navies. These research efforts led to the discovery between 2000 and 2015 of a wreck believed to be that of the pirate captain William Condon (alias Christopher Condent or Edward Congdon), the Fiery Dragon. The ship is said to have been scuttled by the crew in February 1721 in the bay. The reason for this scuttling can be explained by a document found in the departmental archives of Morbihan in Vannes (Brittany, France): an amnesty ordered by the governor of Bourbon Joseph Beauvollier de Courchant and signed on November 25, 1720. It particularly stipulates clauses that must be respected by the pirate Edward Congdon for him to be pardoned, including the scuttling of his ships at anchor on Sainte-Marie Island, where he is temporarily residing. Thanks to this document, we know that more than 135 pirates and nearly 80 black slaves from Guinea were still living on Sainte-Marie Island during this period.
Excerpt from the amnesty application kept in the departmental archives of Morbihan in Vannes
J. Soulat
Archaeological investigations were conducted in 2010 and 2015 in the area. A possible second wreck, likely Asian, may have sunk around the same time, overlapping with the Fiery Dragon, but this hypothesis remains to be confirmed. In addition to the remains of the wooden structure of the presumed wreck of the Fiery Dragon, a large number of objects were discovered, including over 2000 fragments of Chinese porcelain, 13 gold coins of various origins, as well as objects of European origin. The assemblage is dated between the end of the 17th century and the year 1721, based on the coins and porcelain. Another wreck referred to as "the channel wreck," which could be the Mocha Frigate or the Great Mahomet, a ship of the pirate Robert Culliford, was also discovered and very partially excavated. Finally, the Adventure Galley, the ship of the pirate William Kidd, may also have been found, but no information related to this discovery has been detailed in the consulted reports. In total, two to four wrecks may have been discovered by the American team. However, a UNESCO team led by Michel L’Hour came in 2015 to verify the identification and authentication of these discoveries. The UNESCO report clearly contradicts the identification of these wrecks, but the debate remains open for the Fiery Dragon, which may also be another ship recovered by Condon's pirates. Nevertheless, UNESCO recommends further research.
Since 2015, no new investigations have been conducted on these wrecks. Despite the great interest in the discovered remains, thorough interdisciplinary scientific work remains to be done to properly identify these wrecks in order to place them in the historical context of the bay and maritime trade towards the East in the 18th century.
Apart from the study of these wrecks, it is crucial here to try to perceive the remains of terrestrial occupations left by the French and by the pirates. Accounts and maps dated between the 2nd half of the 17th century and the early 18th century clearly show that the bay of Ambodifotatra was occupied by a small contingent of the French royal navy as early as the 1650s, possibly a forward base of Fort Dauphin under the command of Flacourt, an area occupied by the French since 1640 with the construction of the fort and until its abandonment in 1674. Several conflicts occurred between the French of Île Sainte-Marie and the Malagasy natives, particularly in 1656. As the French gradually abandoned Fort Dauphin, Sainte-Marie was forsaken by the French troops in 1669. It is not known whether the French built any defensive structures on site, notably a fort that they may have later abandoned. From the 1680s, the first pirates began to land on Île Sainte-Marie and particularly in the bay of Ambodifotatra. It is known that they occupied the area until the 1720s-1730s.
Undated plan of the bay of Sainte-Marie, probably a proposed plan to defend the bay by the French around 1750
BNF credit
Map dated 1730 of the bay of Sainte-Marie showing France's vision in building a large Vauban-style fort.
BNF credit
A partir de 1680-1690, on sait que les pirates investissent les lieux. L’occupation défensive de la baie aurait été développée à partir de 1691 sous l’impulsion du pirate anglais Adam Baldridge avec notamment la construction du premier fortin de l'île. On sait d'après les plans français de 1733 que les pirates carènent sur l'îlot Madame et qu'ils se ravitaillent en eau à l'Aiguade, à l'intérieur de la baie. L’Île Sainte-Marie était un point d’étape stratégique pour contrôler les navires passant par la route des Indes, mais aussi pour faire le ravitaillement.
La baie d’Ambodifotatra sur l’île Sainte-Marie à Madagascar apparaît dans les sources historiques comme un vrai repaire de pirates entre les années 1690 et 1730, probablement le principal foyer de piraterie de l’océan Indien. Cependant, la zone est loin d’avoir livré tous ses secrets. L’archéologie subaquatique a commencé à montrer les premiers témoins du passage de ces forbans avec les restes de navires coulés volontairement dans le but de créer une barrière anthropique sous-marine contre la marine royale française et britannique. Malgré le grand intérêt des vestiges découverts, un travail scientifique approfondi pluridisciplinaire reste à entreprendre pour bien identifier ces épaves afin de les replacer dans le contexte historique de la baie.
A ce jour, aucune investigation archéologique n’a été menée sur les vestiges terrestres coloniaux de la baie en lien avec l’occupation de la marine royale française puis l’installation de ces pirates. Cette problématique novatrice en archéologie de la piraterie pourrait permettre de mieux comprendre l’installation de ces forbans, leur mode de vie, l’exploitation des matières premières et le mode de construction de ces aménagements. Grâce à l’archéologie et à l’étude de la culture matérielle, il sera primordial d’essayer de mesurer l’impact des populations indigènes sur l’installation des pirates, l’équilibre entre les deux cultures et pourquoi pas percevoir une certaine acculturation entre ces deux communautés.
