Records of French Slaves Inscribed on UN World Heritage Register

French President Emmanuel Macron (2-R) visits the Chateau de Joux during a ceremony marking the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France, in La Cluze-et-Mijoux, near Besancon, eastern France, on April 27, 2023. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (2-R) visits the Chateau de Joux during a ceremony marking the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France, in La Cluze-et-Mijoux, near Besancon, eastern France, on April 27, 2023. (AFP)
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Records of French Slaves Inscribed on UN World Heritage Register

French President Emmanuel Macron (2-R) visits the Chateau de Joux during a ceremony marking the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France, in La Cluze-et-Mijoux, near Besancon, eastern France, on April 27, 2023. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (2-R) visits the Chateau de Joux during a ceremony marking the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France, in La Cluze-et-Mijoux, near Besancon, eastern France, on April 27, 2023. (AFP)

Several hundred documents and items revealing the names and other details of victims of slavery in France’s colonial empire is being added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World register.

This latest addition, which the UN cultural agency approved last week, marks the first time that France has pushed for the inscription of documents on the UNESCO register that were previously archived in France's present-day overseas territories.

The Memory of the World register was set up in 1992 "to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, decay over time," according to UNESCO.

The documents date from between the 17th and 19th centuries, from places including the modern-day nations of Haiti, Mauritius and Senegal and the French overseas territories of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Mayotte, Martinique and Reunion.

They represent just a fraction of some 4 million people "enslaved in the French colonial empire, whether victims of trafficking or born locally into a status of servitude," according to the French Foundation for the Memory of Slavery that lobbied for the inscription.

"These generations of women, men and children lived there without civil status, but not without traces," the foundation said Tuesday in a statement.

The records include documents in the administrative, fiscal or religious sphere that feature the victim's name, age, sex, professional skills, and sometimes his or her physical characteristics.

The records have for years been kept by the Territorial Archives of Martinique and French Guiana, the Departmental Archives of Guadeloupe, Reunion, the Overseas National Archives and the National Archives of Haiti.



Ancient Pompeii Excavation Uncovers Lavish Private Bath Complex

A recently discovered complex in the ancient city of Pompeii is seen, in Pompeii, Italy, in this undated handout picture released on January 17, 2025. (Pompeii Archeological Park/ Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism/ Handout via Reuters)
A recently discovered complex in the ancient city of Pompeii is seen, in Pompeii, Italy, in this undated handout picture released on January 17, 2025. (Pompeii Archeological Park/ Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism/ Handout via Reuters)
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Ancient Pompeii Excavation Uncovers Lavish Private Bath Complex

A recently discovered complex in the ancient city of Pompeii is seen, in Pompeii, Italy, in this undated handout picture released on January 17, 2025. (Pompeii Archeological Park/ Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism/ Handout via Reuters)
A recently discovered complex in the ancient city of Pompeii is seen, in Pompeii, Italy, in this undated handout picture released on January 17, 2025. (Pompeii Archeological Park/ Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism/ Handout via Reuters)

Archaeologists have unearthed a lavish private bath complex in Pompeii, highlighting the wealth and grandeur of the ancient Roman city before it was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, the site said on Friday.

The baths, featuring hot, warm and cold rooms, could host up to 30 guests, allowing them to relax before heading into an adjacent, black-walled banquet hall, decorated with scenes from Greek mythology.

The complex lies inside a grand residence that has been uncovered over the last two years during excavations that have revealed the opulent city's multifaceted social life before Vesuvius buried it under a thick, suffocating blanket of ash.

A central courtyard with a large basin adds to the splendor of the house, which is believed to have been owned by a member of Pompeii's elite in its final years.

"This discovery underscores how Roman houses were more than private residences, they were stages for public life and self-promotion," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

Zuchtriegel said the layout recalled scenes from the Roman novel "The Satyricon", where banquets and baths were central to displays of wealth and status.

Decorated with frescoes, the complex draws inspiration from Greek culture, emphasizing themes of leisure and erudition.

"The homeowner sought to create a spectacle, transforming their home into a Greek-style palace and gymnasium," Zuchtriegel said.

The remains of more than 1,000 victims have been found during excavations in Pompeii, including two bodies inside the private residence with the bathhouse - a woman, aged between 35-50, who was clutching jewellery and coins, and a younger man.

The discovery of their bodies was announced last year.