Early State Formation in Central Madagascar: An Archaeological Survey of Western Avaradrano

330 Pages·15.062 MB·English

by  edited by Henry T. Wright

Early State Formation in Central Madagascar
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Frontispiece. Aerial view of Amboatany (516.0-814.0) and nearby sites. (Blowup from Image 1J 8 of Madagascar Mission 189, taken in 1964.
provided through the kindness of the Foiben-Taosarintanin'i Madagasikara [L'institute Geographique National de Madagascar].)
Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan
Memoirs, Number 43
Early State Formation in Central Madagascar
An Archaeological Survey of Western Avaradrano
edited by Henry T. Wright
with contributions by
Ian Bailiff, David Burney, Robert Dewar, Sigrid Gabler,
Herbert Haas, Susan Kus, Andrianaivoarivony Rafolo,
Victor Raharijaona, Solo Hilarion Rakotovololona,t David Rasamuel,t
George Schwartz, Wilma Wetterstrom, and Henry T. Wright
Ann Arbor, Michigan
2007
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ISBN9 78-0-915703-63-0 (paper)
ISBN 978-1-951519-83-4 (ebook)
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dedicated to
Pierre Verin,
the first master of Malagasy archaeology
Atolotra an'i Pierre Verin,
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Contents
LIST OF FIGURES, ix
LIST OF TABLES, xii
FOREWORD, by Jean-Aime Rakotoarisoa, xiii
TENY MIALOHA, by Jean-Aime Rakotoarisoa, xiv
PREFACE, by Augustin F.e. Holl, xvi
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION, by Henry T. Wright and Susan Kus, I
Madagascar and the Rise of the Merina State, 1
Building Complex Economic and Political Systems, 3
Archaeological Survey and the Study of Complex Social Forms, 6
A History of Archaeological Research in Central Madagascar, 6
Plan of the Present Work, 7
CHAPTER 2. LANDSCAPE AND ARCHAEOLOGY IN WESTERN AVARADRANO, 9
The Landscape, 9
Holocene Environmental Change in Imerina, 9
Traditional Life in Western Avaradrano, II .
The Survey Projects of 1975,14
The Survey Projects of 1980 to 1989,14
Survey Methods Used in Avaradrano, 15
CHAPTER 3. CERAMICS AND CULTURAL PHASES IN CENTRAL IMERINA, 18
Introduction to the Issues of Survey Chronology, 18
Proposed Ceramic Chronology of 1975, 18
New Chronological Evidence from the Stratigraphic Soundings in Avaradrano: 1983,21
New Chronological Evidence from Excavations Elsewhere in Imerina: 1980-1985,38
New Chronological Evidence from Soundings and Excavations in Avaradrano: 1985-1989,39
Ceramic Chronology Used in the Present Work, 41
CHAPTER 4. THE ANCIENT SETTLEMENTS OF AVARADRANO, 59
Introduction, 59
Ditches and Banks, 59
Entries, Gates and Discs in Western Avaradrano, by Sigrid Gabler, 63
Houses, 67
Pits and Other Storage Structures, 70
Cattle Byres, 71
Tombs, 71
Monoliths, 73
Comment, 76
CHAPTER 5. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SETTLEMENT SYSTEMS IN WESTERN AVARADRANO, 77
Imerina at the Time of Human Settlement, 77
Fiekena Phase, 77
Antanambe Phase, 79
Ankatso Phase, 82
Angavobe Phase, 84
Ambohidray Phase, 86
Kaloy Phase, 89
Fiadanana Phase, 90
Processual Assessment of Population Changes in Western Avaradrano, by Robert E. Dewar, 101
vii
CHAPTER 6. COMMENTS, 104
Archaeology and Historical Traditions, 104
Evaluating Ideas about State Formation with the Evidence from Western Avaradrano, 104
The Archaeological Evidence of Cultural Development in Western Avaradrano, 106
Toward New Explanatory Constructs of Political Transformation in Imerina, 109
Future Archaeological Research in Imerina, 111
GLOSSARY, by Victor Raharijaona, 113
BIBLIOGRAPHY, 115
ApPENDIX A. CATALOGUE OF SITE INFORMATION, by Henry T. Wright and Susan Kus, 119
Archaeological Sites in the Kingdom of Marovatana, 123
Archaeological Sites in the Kingdom of Ambohimanga, 131
Archaeological Sites in the Kingdom of Ilafy, 249
ApPENDIX B. DETERMINATIONS OF ABSOLUTE DATES FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN CENTRAL MADAGASCAR,
by Henry Wright, Andrianaivoarivony RaJolo, Ian Bailiff, David Burney, Herbert Haas, Victor Raharijaona,
Solo Rakotovololona, David Rasamuel, and Robert Dewar, 271
Introduction, 271
Palynological Sites, 272
Archaeological Sites, 273
General Comment, 278
Acknowledgments, 280
Bibliography, 280
ApPENDIX C. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PALEOETHNOBOTANY OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF MADAGASCAR,
by Wilma Wetterstrom and Henry T. Wright, 281
Introduction, 281
The Archaeological Plant Record, 281
Recovering and Analyzing Archaeological Plant Remains, 282
Methods and Procedures, 282
Archaeobotanical Samples from Central Madagascar, 283
The Taxa, 286
Discussion, 287
Future Prospects, 287
References, 288
ApPENDIX D. POPULATION AND PRODUCTION IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY MADAGASCAR: ANALYZING ARCHAEOLOGICAL
EVIDENCE OF THE SUBSISTENCE ECONOMY OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, by George Schwartz, 289
Principles of Site Catchment Analysis, 289
Diet and Rice Field Requirements, 293
Site Populations, 293
Analysis from the Standpoint of the Demand for Rice: The Example of the Ambohimanga District in Western
Avaradrano,294
Conclusions, 298
Future Research, 298
References, 299
ApPENDIX E. AMBOHIMANGA: CREATING A CAPITAL AND A POLITY IN THOUGHT, DEED AND DIRT, by Susan Kus, 301
Conclusion, 310
References, 311
viii
Figures
Frontispiece. Aerial view of Amboatany (516.0-814.0) and nearby sites, ii
1.1. Map of Madagascar showing Avaradrano and other intensive surveys, 2
2.1. Western Avaradrano, ]6
3.1. Sections of Operation C, Ambohinanjakana, 24
3.2. Jar sherds from Ambohinanjakana, Ex. C, Layers 3-10, Ambohidray Phase, 27
3.3. Bowl sherds from Ambohinanjakana, Ex. C, Layers 3-10, Early KaIoy Phase, 29
3.4. Ceramics from Ambohinanjakana, Ex. C, Layers 1-2, Early KaIoy Phase, 3]
3.5. Sections of Operation D, Amboatany, 33
3.6. Jar rims from Amboatany, Ex. D, Late Kaloy and Fiadanana Phases, 35
3.7. Bowl rims and other sherds from Amboatany, Ex. D, Late Kaloy and Fiadanana Phases, 37
3.8. Section of unfinished cut, Ambohidahy, 40
3.9. Ceramics from Ambohidahy, Antanambe Phase, 43
3.10. Fiekena Phase ceramics, 45
3.11. Antanambe Phase ceramics, 47
3.12. Ankatso Phase ceramics, 49
3.13. Angavobe Phase ceramics, 5]
3.14. Ambohidray Phase ceramics, 53
3.15. Early Kaloy Phase ceramics, 55
3.16. Late Kaloy and Fiadanana Phase ceramics, 57
4.1. Banks and small gates, 62
4.2. Large gates, 65
4.3. Histograms and cross plot of gate width and disc diameter, 66
4.4. Besakana: the palace of Andrianamasinavalona at Antananarivo, 68
4.5. Mahandrihono: the palace of Andrianampoinimerina at Ambohimanga, 69
4.6. Types of tombs, 74
5.1. Fiekena Phase settlement pattern in western Avaradrano, 78
5.2. Antanambe Phase settlement pattern in western Avaradrano, 80
5.3. Ankatso Phase settlement pattern in western Avaradrano, 83
5.4. Angavobe Phase settlement pattern in western Avaradrano, 85
5.5. Ambohidray Phase settlement pattern in western Avaradrano, 87
5.6. Early Kaloy Phase settlement pattern in western Avaradrano, 9]
5.7. Late Kaloy Phase settlement pattern in western Avaradrano, 92
5.8. Ambohimanga, showing some of the gates, the pattern of ditches, slopes, and rice paddies ca. 1967,93
5.9. Ilafy, showing the pattern of ditches, slopes, and rice paddies ca. 1967,94
5.10. Ambohidrabiby, showing the pattern of ditches, slopes, and rice paddies ca. 1967, 95
5.11. Histograms of site sizes for successive phases, 96
5.12. Histogram of population estimates for western Avaradrano, ] 03
6.1. A map of western Avaradrano showing Late Kaloy Subphase centers, subcenters, and villages, 11 0
ix