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Landscapes, Seascapes, and Coastal Defenses: A Case Study from Southeast Mauritius

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Abstract

This paper will look at the interrelationships between geography, landscapes, and seascapes. It also discusses changing geopolitical strategic interests of and conflict between colonial France and England, as well as developments in military and naval technologies. The chronological span will be from the first construction of French defenses in 1725 to the British handing back of lands to civilian use at the end of the Second World War. The majority of evidence employed in this study will be taken from my own archaeological research on coastal batteries and related installations along the southeastern coast of Mauritius (including the southeastern islets), supplemented where necessary by historical accounts and maps. Issues of particular interest include defense as a barometer of perceived strategic importance, the counter play between colonial concerns and local resources, and the practicalities of manning coastal defenses.

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Acknowledgments

I owe a great debt of gratitude to Philippe la Hausse de Lalouvière, the inspiration behind the National Heritage Fund of Mauritius of which he was the first chairman, for inviting a Mauritian architect, Françoise, who also happens to be my wife, together with myself to make the first architectural and archaeological survey of Ile de la Passe in 2000. This was financed by the American Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. Four further seasons of fieldwork were conducted with Earthwatch volunteers under the auspices of the National Heritage Fund. Additional support was provided by General Construction, the Mauritius Commercial Bank, and Phoenix Beverages. Yann von Arnim conducted an underwater survey around Ile de la Passe. SOS Patrimoine en Peril funded, in 2014, a first survey of WW II installations along the southeast coast. Funding and help in kind came from companies in Mauritius who are acknowledged in the online reports. Three individuals have been most generous in sharing the unpublished results of their own research, Marina Carter, Philippe Denis, and Radhakrishna Ramasawmy. Jayshree Mungur-Medhi and Anwar Janoo participated in fieldwork and post-fieldwork studies concerning Ile de la Passe. Several people have read parts or all of early drafts and made helpful comments that have led to improvements, Radhakrishna Ramasawmy, Krish Seetah, and Françoise Summers. They are, however, to be completely exonerated from blame for any errors of fact or interpretation.

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  1. British Institute At Ankara, London, UK

    Geoffrey D. Summers

  2. The Oriental Institute, Chicago University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Geoffrey D. Summers

  3. Center for the Study of Slavery and Indenture, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius

    Geoffrey D. Summers

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  1. Geoffrey D. Summers
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Correspondence to Geoffrey D. Summers.

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Summers, G.D. Landscapes, Seascapes, and Coastal Defenses: A Case Study from Southeast Mauritius. Int J Histor Archaeol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-021-00607-6

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