Layering Segregation in Life and Death: The Social and Environmental Character of the Bois Marchand Cemetery, Mauritius

Abstract

The Bois Marchand Cemetery in Mauritius was established in 1867 in response to the massive death toll exerted by a disastrous malaria epidemic that swept the island between 1866 and 1868. As all the aspects of Mauritian society are represented in the cemetery’s necrogeography, the still-active burial ground offers an ideal setting to examine life and death during the Indenture Period of the island’s history. This article examines the development, organization, environmental factors, and ecological aspects of this vast burial ground in view of the development of public health care and management.