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The 'Italian' cemetery of the Crottes area in Marseille: between integration and exclusion
Conference
Published on
20 May 2015
Updated on
14 June 2017
Colloquia
The archaeology of Migrations
International colloquium organized by Inrap, in partnership with the National Museum of Immigration History.
November 12 and 13, 2015 at the National Museum of Immigration History.
Archaeology of Migrations
by Anne Richier and Nicolas Weydert, Inrap
Marseille, a crossroads town from its very beginnings, became, in the 19th century, an important place of refuge for Italian emigrants, who made up almost 20% of its population by the eve of the First World War. These migrants from across the Alps settled massively in the new industrial and port areas in the outskirts of the Phocaean town, later to become the city's northern neighbourhoods, mundane places of low repute.
Situated in one of these working class neighbourhoods, the Petites Crottes cemetery (1784-1905), nicknamed "the Italian cemetery" at the end of the 19th century, was excavated in part during 2013 and 2014. This study incidentally allowed for an examination of societal questions relating to immigration with its phenomena of acculturation, conservatism and also exclusion. Hence, through the history of this funerary space and the circumstances of its abandonment and later its eradication from both landscape and memory, we attempt to see to what extent it is possible, using archaeological methods, to interpret and query the Italian presence in Marseille in the 19th century.
Situated in one of these working class neighbourhoods, the Petites Crottes cemetery (1784-1905), nicknamed "the Italian cemetery" at the end of the 19th century, was excavated in part during 2013 and 2014. This study incidentally allowed for an examination of societal questions relating to immigration with its phenomena of acculturation, conservatism and also exclusion. Hence, through the history of this funerary space and the circumstances of its abandonment and later its eradication from both landscape and memory, we attempt to see to what extent it is possible, using archaeological methods, to interpret and query the Italian presence in Marseille in the 19th century.
Anne Richier is an archeo-anthropologist, researcher at INRAP (French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) and member of the UMR 7268 ADES (research group on bio-cultural anthropology, law, ethics and health) Her recent work concerns the archaeological study of death and burial in modern and contemporary cemeteries. She notably led the 2009 excavation of the Le Ciotat parish cemetery (1581-1831), as well as excavations in 2013 and 2014 in the Petites Crottes cemetery in Marseille (1784-1905). More specifically, her research concerns funerary practices and archaeological contribution to social history, within a multidisciplinary approach.
Nicolas Weydert is an archaeologist and research assistant at INRAP (French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research). With a background in natural sciences, since 2009 he has specialised in funerary archaeology and has notably taken part in the excavations of the cemeteries of La Ciotat (2009), Rousset (2011), la place des Martys in Algeria (2013-2014) and the Petites-Crottes in Marseille (2013-2014). In particular, he is in charge of the geographic and spatial analysis of funerary spaces and of their changing organisation.
Bibliography
Nicolas Weydert is an archaeologist and research assistant at INRAP (French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research). With a background in natural sciences, since 2009 he has specialised in funerary archaeology and has notably taken part in the excavations of the cemeteries of La Ciotat (2009), Rousset (2011), la place des Martys in Algeria (2013-2014) and the Petites-Crottes in Marseille (2013-2014). In particular, he is in charge of the geographic and spatial analysis of funerary spaces and of their changing organisation.
Bibliography
- Bertrand R. 1994 - Les Provençaux et leurs morts. Recherches sur les pratiques funéraires, les lieux de sépultures et le culte du souvenir des morts dans le Sud-Est de la France depuis la fin du XVIIe siècle, thèse de doctorat d'histoire dactyl., Université Paris I-Sorbonne, décembre 1994, 5 vol.
- Daumalin X. 2014 - Le patronat marseillais et la deuxième industrialisation (1880-1930), Presses universitaires de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, 326 p.
- Lopez R., Temime E. 1990 - L'expansion marseillaise et l'« invasion italienne » (1830 - 1918), Migrance, Histoire des migrations à Marseille, Tome 2, Éditions Edisud, Marseille, 228 p.
- Richier A., Weydert N. 2013 - Marseille, Métro Bougainville-Capitaine Gèze : le cimetière des Petites-Crottes, BSR Paca 2013, p. 114-115.
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