Thousands of Kidnapped Africans Died on an Island in the Atlantic After Being Rescued From Slave Ships. Evidence in Their Teeth Traces Their Journeys

Thousands of Kidnapped Africans Died on an Island in the Atlantic After Being Rescued From Slave Ships. Evidence in Their Teeth Traces Their Journeys

Remains in the graves of St. Helena, where the British military housed "liberated" enslaved Africans, contain isotopes from inland Angola and Zimbabwe

The British Royal Navy brought nearly 27,000 Africans rescued from slave ships to a remote Atlantic island; their teeth are now revealing their lost childhood journeys

A new study has uncovered the childhood origins of 152 Africans rescued from illegal slave ships and taken to Saint Helena nearly 200 years ago. Using tooth chemistry, ancient DNA and historical records, researchers found they came from different parts of Central Africa, with many forced to travel long distances before reaching the coast. The findings help restore the identities of people whose lives were erased by the transatlantic slave trade.