Environmental Assessment
Volume C-5.2
Slurry Pipeline
Cultural Property
Ambatovy Project
181
January 2006
Table 5.2-1 Potential Types of Cultural Sites in the Cultural Resources Study
Area
Site Category
Sub-Categories
Cultural Relevance
Fasana
Tranomanara
tombs
Feraomby
considered ancestral residences, their displacement
requires careful attention to proper ritual
cemeteries
--
as above
Jiro
family prayer altar
ceremonial sites
Fisokona
communal prayer altar
nefarious places
Tany Mahery
bad luck area
sacred waterfalls
Riana
symbolize purity; place for offerings
Vatolahy
large raised stone commemorating an important person
or event of the past
Tsangambato
small raised stones symbolizing a tomb
other cultural /
archaeological sites
Tanana Taloha
ancient abandoned villages
With the exception of the ancient abandoned villages, which are purely
archaeological, the rest of these sites listed in Table 5.2-1 may be considered
cultural because they continue to play a role in the current culture of the area.
5.2.3.3 Results
During the assessment of the pipeline corridor, 27 tombs or groupings of tombs,
19 symbolic tombs, two ceremonial sites, three abandoned villages and one
church were located (see Figure 5.2-1). It is unclear how old the abandoned
villages are, and whether these would require mitigation.
