The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since September 1978.[7] Most of the main buildings in Gorée were constructed during the second half of the 18th Century. The main ones are: the Slave house, 1786; William Ponty School, 1770; Musée de la mer (Maritime museum), 1835; Fort d'Estrées, originally called the northern battery, which now contains the Historical Museum of Senegal, built between 1852–65; palais du Government (Government Palace), 1864, occupied by the first governor general of Senegal from 1902-07.[8] The Gorée Castle and the seventeenth-century Gorée Police Station, formerly a dispensary, believed to be the site of the first chapel built by the Portuguese in the 15th century, and the beach are also of tourist interest.
Maison des Esclaves, or the Slave House, was built in 1780-1784 by Nicolas Pépin. Although it is the home of the infamous “Door of No Return”, which is said to be the last place exported slaves touched African soil for the rest of their lives, there is little evidence at Maison des Esclaves to suggest a “large-scale trans-Atlantic slave trade” economy (cite). According to census records obtained from the 18th century, the majority of enslaved population fell under the category of domestic slaves, rather than slaves to be exported. Pépin and his heiress may have had domestic slaves, but again there is little archaeological evidence that they were involved in any slave exportation business.
At Rue des Dungeons, as the name suggests, there is a presence of dungeons, which can clearly be associated with the confinement of the slaves to be exported.
Quartier Bambara was a segregated settlement, which suggests domestic slavery rather than exportation. The maps of this settlement has segregated lines that eventually, by the mid-eighteenth century, were shown to be “considerably reduced” (Thiaw).
Controversy:
The previously mention Dr. Ibrahima Thiaw is also the author of Digging on Contested Grounds: Archaeology and the Commemoration of Slavery on Gorée Island. In this article, Thiaw discusses the difference between the historical accounts full of slavery and shackles and the lack of archaeological evidence to support those accounts. Raina Croff, one of Thiaw's colleagues, states that she personally has never found any evidence of slavery on Gorée Island, however she also includes that archaeological evidence such as shackles and chains would not be found on an island, because there is no need.
Archaeological research on Gorée has been undertaken by Dr. Ibrahima Thiaw (Associate Professor of Archaeology at the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN); and the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Senegal); Dr. Susan Keech McIntosh (Professor of Archaeology, Rice University, Houston, Texas); and Raina Croff (PhD candidate at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut). Dr. Shawn Murray (University of Wisconsin–Madison) also contributed to the archaeological research at Gorée through a study of local and introduced trees and shrubs, which aids in identifying the ancient plant remains found in the excavations.[9]
The previously mention Dr. Ibrahima Thaw is also the author of Digging on Contested Grounds: Archaeology and the Commemoration of Slavery on Gorée Island. In this
Summary of the Archaeology at Gorée Island
The first thing that I am going to change or add, is the title of the section that I am expanding. “Historical Sites” will be changed to “Archaeology at Gorée Island”. After that there will be a brief introduction to one of the earliest Afro-European settlements found, Gorée Island. The main focus will be the three heritage sites which are: Maison des Esclaves, Rue des Dungeons, and the Quartier Bambara. All of these sites can be considered historical archaeology.
Maison des Esclaves was built in 1780-1784. Although it is the home of the infamous “Door of No Return”, said to be the last place exported slaves touched African soil for the rest of their lives, there is little evidence at Maison des Esclaves to suggest a “large-scale trans-Atlantic slave trade” economy (Thiaw). At Rue des Dungeons, as the name suggests, there is a presence of dungeons, which can clearly be associated with the confinement of the slaves to be exported. Quartier Bambara was a segregated settlement, which suggests domestic slavery rather than exportation. The maps of this settlement has segregated lines that eventually, by the mid-eighteenth century, were shown to be “considerably reduced” (Thiaw). Ibrahima Thiaw is one of the main archaeologists studying and publishing articles about these sites and this island. I would also like to take a few sentences to talk about the controversial aspects of these sites. Pictures of all these historical sites should be included.
In addition to talking about the main (controversial) historical sites on Gorée Island, there is also other sites from the late first and early second millennium that have importance in discovering the daily life of the people of Gorée Island. Information regarding their diets and animals of domestication can all be found in other archaeology projects around Gorée. Although I believe the majority of the information I am going to find is going to revolve around the 3 main historical sites above, I’d like to see if I can give Gorée a more well-rounded archaeological breakdown.
I am also adding another source:
Thaw, I. (n.d.). Digging on Contested Grounds: Archaeology and the Commemoration of Slavery on Gorée Island, Senegal. In New Perspectives on Global Public Archaeology (pp. 127-138). NY: Springer New York.
Nicoleslaw22 (talk) 17:25, 24 October 2016 (UTC)Nicoleslaw22