An international team of researchers has shed new light on the origins and life histories of Africans who were liberated from illegal slave ships and brought to the island of St Helena in the mid-nineteenth century. The study, published in Science, combines archaeological, historical, isotopic and genetic evidence to reconstruct the likely childhood origins of 152 individuals.
Isotope analysis
Between 1840 and 1863, nearly 27,000 Africans rescued from slave ships by the British Royal Navy were brought to St Helena. Around 8,000 died shortly after arrival and were buried on the island. Their remains were uncovered during archaeological excavations in 2007 and 2008.
Using strontium isotope analysis of dental enamel, ancient DNA and historical records, the researchers found that many individuals likely originated from coastal regions of western Central Africa, while others came from far inland. The results suggest that some people were forcibly displaced over hundreds or even thousands of kilometers within Africa before being transported across the Atlantic.
Reconstructions
The study highlights the value of combining multiple scientific approaches to reconstruct the experiences of people whose stories are often absent from written records.
‘This research clearly demonstrates the power of integrating different scientific methods to provide new insights into the life histories of people who were often neglected or misrepresented in the historical record,’ says Dr Jason Laffoon of Leiden University’s Faculty of Archaeology, one of the study’s co-authors.
The project was carried out in close collaboration with the community of St Helena and contributes to ongoing efforts to better understand and commemorate the lives of the Liberated Africans.
Xueye Wang et al., Tracing the Origins of St Helena’s Liberated Africans, Science (2026).
- history of slavery
- isotope analysis
- the skeleton as a source of information
