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One of the mandates of the archaeological team was to ensure respect for tradition and local culture; one of the peculiarities
of Madagascar, a country of oral tradition, is that scientific results overlap or mix with oral stories conveyed from generation to
generation. Therefore, the archaeological team was responsible for acknowledging and analyzing the communities’ perception of
their own heritage. In order to do this, it was essential to collect the known oral traditions.
Each village from Mangoro to Ivondro has preserved the stories explaining the existence of these ancient sites, in their own way.
Indeed, the local population tends to provide their own interpretations of these archaeological sites as a way of taking ownership of
them. However, this attitude is understandable and can be explained by their fear of not being seen as the first
tompontany
or owners
of the land that they currently occupy.
All stories collected emphasize the existence of a founding ancestor, irrefutable proof of anteriority of the area. This point is important
as it gives some idea about the original occupants who became
tompontany
or landowners, based on traditional rules. Their stories
confuse periods and rarely take into account history’s different timelines. As their aim is not to prove but to convince, each narrator
attempts to steer his story in favor of his own clan. When such demonstrations of anteriority for a particular area become too difficult
and they can no longer trace back any plausible ancestors, stories move on to mythical characters. Since the eastern coast is
particularly rich in this subject, populations will simply recount the legend of Darafify, the giant, whose tears of heartache gave rise
to the large bodies of water, Rasoabe and Rasoamasay, south of Tamatave. It is sometimes difficult to disentangle the truth from
myths, as the population still believes in the existence of exceptional beings who gave birth to their ancestors. From generation to
generation, each community has reproduced stories that fully embellish the epic adventures of their brave ancestors. Whether they
are true or false, these stories guarantee the legitimacy of their close ties to ancestral land that remains against all odds, sacred.
The archaeological works enabled the discovery of some aspects of this eastern region of Madagascar that have never been
published in the past. During the thorough surveys conducted between Mangoro to Ivondro, several important cultural and religious
sites were recorded. All Malagasy people designate these sites as
fady
, meaning prohibited, or
masina
, meaning sacred.
Visiting these sites without taking all the necessary precautions, or at least obtaining approval from a notable, may result in heavy
penalties. Foreigners may face difficulties when going to such places as their locations are not clearly identified or defined.
From their first day at work, each Ambatovy agent working in the field, and in direct contact with the local population, are quickly
taught the meaning of two words:
Tangalamena
and
Joro
.
Due to its frequency, the latter has been a loyal companion of the project, throughout the construction phase. It should be noted that
many staff, unfamiliar with Malagasy customs, did not always understand the importance of organizing
Joro
and sometimes had
reservations when seeing the costs incurred.
