The Diaries
 
November 18th 2008
:: 2008 :: 10/27 - 10/28 - 10/29 - 10/30 - 10/31
11/01 - 11/02 & 11/03 - 11/04 - 11/05- 11/06 - 11/07 - 11/08 & 11/09 - 11/10 - 11/11 - 11/12 - 11/13 - 11/14 - 11/15 - 11/16 - 11/17 - 11/18 - 11/19 - 11/20 - 11/21 - 11/22 - 11/23 - 11/25 - 11/26 - 11/27 - 11/28
11/29 - 11/30
12/01 - 12/02
- A more attentive observation -  

Sudel filtering
Photo : Jean-François REBEYROTTE

In spite of the desire that we have to go ahead and in the directions that are indicated by the walls of the buildings to us, still buried in the sediment, we decided not to open any other zones of excavation and to concentrate particularly on those already released.

It is indeed necessary to pickle, layer by layer, the sediment which buried them, and to filter this last in the last layer which corresponds to the period of the occupation of the site by the Malagasy slaves. We find there, not counting the consumed food remainders, of more or less thick ashes according to whether we are close or not to the home, nails of ships, recognizable to their square section, which indicates that the wood coming from the wreck was burned, sometimes other broken or lost objects.

Second building: we distinguish the vertical foundations and stacking of beach rock
Photo : Jean-François REBEYROTTE

It is also necessary for us to study attentively in which level the constructions were undertaken, which should make it possible to know in what order the buildings were built, or if the buildings were altered after their construction.

We also observe the way in which the walls were built.

If the foundations of the walls are nearly always constituted of large blocks, the walls are sometimes established with a mixture of blocks of coral and sandstone of beach rock, others are almost exclusively established with sandstone plates of beach rock, which gives a very regular aspect.

Jean-François has just taken under water images
Photo : Jean BOGGIO POLA

n the last building released, sandstone plates of beach rock of great dimension are laid out vertically: one of them is nearly a square meter long!
We multiply drawings, plans and photographs, undoubtedly motivated by frustration to have to bury, in a few days, all that we released with so much trouble.

We will try to take a vertical photo by laying out a camera under an inflated balloon with helium. A first test, without drift, necessary to stabilize the apparatus, gave good results.

At 11:00, new attempt also to carry out some catches of underwater views, the water is rather clear and encouraging results: the canons of ā€œlā€™Utileā€ are always at the sea-bed.