A unique history: 60 slaves abandoned for 15 years on Tromelin Island
On November 17 1760, L'Utile, a cargo vessel of the French East Indian Company left Bayonne in France. On July 31, 1761, it was shipwrecked off Sand Island (now called Tromelin Island), a deserted 1 km2 islet. The ship's cargo included illegally bought slaves from Madagascar destined to be sold on Mauritius Island.
The French crew left for Madagascar on a makeshift vessel, leaving behind sixty slaves with three months of provisions and the promise of a rapid rescue.
Fifteen years later, on November 29, 1776, the lieutenant of the Tromelin rescued the last survivors; seven women and one eight month old baby.

The 2008 archaeological mission
The objective of the first archaeological mission, completed in 2006, was to study the l'Utile shipwreck and part of the slave habitat.
The second mission, completed in 2008, was directed by the French Marine Archaeology Group (GRAN) in collaboration with the Institut national de recherche archéologique préventive (Inrap). This mission focussed on the living conditions of the slaves and their "social organisation". The search for burials was another research objective.
The quality of the artefacts discovered confirms that this site has a unique and significant historical value that merits its protection. The archeological study shows that the small group of abandoned slaves were unified in the face of adversity and once past the initial stress, remained organized and determined to survive.

The Press file and photos of the mission are available at this address:
http://www.neufgiga.com/n/50-17/share/LNK53314973a533ea833/
A book by Irend Frain: « Les naufragés de l'île Tromelin », published by Michel Lafon Editions, recounts this history.