Colonial iron in context: the Trianon slave shackle from Mauritius

Seetah, K., Birch, T., Calaon, D. and Caval, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9337-3951 (2017) Colonial iron in context: the Trianon slave shackle from Mauritius. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 9 (3). pp. 419-430. ISSN 1866-9557 doi: 10.1007/s12520-015-0295-7

Abstract/Summary

In 2009, part of a ‘slave shackle’ was recovered from archaeological investigations at Trianon, an indentured labourer site on Mauritius dated from the beginning of the nineteenth century. This paper presents the results of a metallurgical assessment of the artefact, thought to represent colonial ironwork, a category that has hitherto remained understudied. The results are incorporated into the wider archaeological and historical evidence from Trianon, highlighting the value of studying colonial ironwork in context.