Teeth Isotopes Reveal Origins of Liberated Africans Buried on St. Helena

A study published in Science used strontium isotope analysis on tooth enamel from 152 skeletons exhumed in Rupert's Valley, St. Helena, to trace the geographic origins of liberated Africans who died after being rescued from slave ships by the British Royal Navy in the 19th century. The remains, discovered in 2008, belonged to individuals who perished from diseases like scurvy, dysentery, and dehydration shortly after arrival. Researchers found that most grew up near the West African coast, while some traveled as children from inland regions such as Angola, Zimbabwe, or southern Africa. One individual likely moved from inland Angola to the coast between ages 7 and 9. The findings align with a 2023 DNA analysis linking 20 skeletons to the region between Gabon and northern Angola, and with Royal Navy testimonies of multiple languages among captives. The study marks the first use of strontium isotopes to determine birthplaces in transatlantic slave trade research. In 2022, the St. Helena National Trust reburied the 325 skeletons in handmade wooden caskets.