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These steps are: recognition, prospection, surface collection, surveys, excavation, data processing, inventory and cataloging of artifacts.
Recognizing the importance of cultural heritage and the need to preserve it for future generations, Ambatovy made a commitment to
the community through its Environmental Management and Social Development Plan (PGEDS).
Initiated in 2007, this plan includes a recommended archaeology program for the preservation of cultural heritage, including sacred
sites. It covers all the construction sites of the company from Moramanga to Toamasina. This is the reason why cultural sites as well
as archaeological artifacts and sites were spared from degradation during construction. Without this precaution, some precious sites
would have been lost, leaving a gap in Madagascar’s past forever.
This book is a consolidation of all the preservation actions undertaken during Ambatovy’s construction phase. It is mainly dedicated
to the study of artifacts and gives particular consideration to cultural aspects. It also reveals Ambatovy’s scientific contribution to the
knowledge of the history of Madagascar in general and more specifically the eastern region of the country.
Known as ‘rescue excavation
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, this type of archaeological work requires special attention. It aims to obtain, within a limited period of
time, all relevant information about each site, whilst complying with strict archaeological guidelines and those outlined in the Specific
Environmental Management Plan (ESMP), which supplements the company’s PGEDS.
Details of the Work
The archaeologists’ work was conducted in several distinct and pre-defined stages , consistent with the progress of Ambatovy’s
construction works.
Before construction start-up, the affected areas - including the mine, pipeline, plant, and tailings - were studied by map, surveying
the areas likely to contain valuable archaeological, cultural and religious data. In the field, the team members were divided into
groups and each group was equipped with a 1:100,000-scale topographic map from the
Foiben-Taosarintanin’i Madagasikara
(FTM),
or the Geographic Institute of Madagascar; an E-trex Garmin GPS; the plans of the pipeline route at different scales; 1:5,000-scale
panchromatic images; and a digital camera. Each group systematically recorded basic information on the ground, such as site name,
precise location and type of artifacts.
