The Guardian

DNA from 200-year-old pipe sheds light on life of enslaved African woman

US archaeologists trace roots of woman to modern-day Sierra Leone as part of ongoing ancestry research
‘As soon as people stepped on those slave ships in Africa ... that identity was lost,’ said the study’s chief archeologist. Pictured: The ‘Raise Up’ statute at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Alabama. Photograph: Brynn Anderson/AP

Archaeologists used DNA taken from a broken clay pipe stem found in Maryland to build a picture of an enslaved woman who died around 200 years ago and had origins in modern-day Sierra Leone. One researcher called the work “a mind-blower”.

“In this particular context,.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Guardian

The Guardian4 min read
‘Almost Like Election Night’: Behind The Scenes Of Spotify Wrapped
There’s a flurry of activities inside Spotify’s New York City’s offices in the Financial District. “It’s almost like election night,” Louisa Ferguson, Spotify’s global head of marketing experience says, referring to a bustling newsroom. At the same t
The Guardian4 min read
Mike McCormack: ‘If I’ve One Gift As A Writer, It’s Patience’
Mike McCormack was born in London in 1965 and raised on a farm in County Mayo in the west of Ireland. He published his first story collection, Getting It in the Head, in 1996, followed by three novels that have marked him out as an experimentalist. N
The Guardian4 min read
The Golden Bachelor’s Older Singletons Have Saved A Franchise
Strange as it may sound, one of the hottest shows on TV this fall has been … an old dating series now catering, for once, to senior citizens. That would be The Golden Bachelor, a new spin-off of America’s pre-eminent dating series in which a 72-year-

Related Books & Audiobooks