Teeth reveal childhood origins of Africans rescued from slave ships

Nearly 200 years after thousands of Africans were rescued from illegal slave ships and taken to the remote island of Saint Helena by the British royal navy, scientists have uncovered new clues about where many of them came from and the journeys they were forced to make before crossing the Atlantic.The research, published in the journal Science, combines historical records, chemical analysis of teeth, computer modelling and ancient DNA to reconstruct the childhood origins of 152 people buried on the island, Live Science reported.The findings show that some came from coastal parts of western Central Africa, while others were taken from regions hundreds or even thousands of kilometres inland, which means that their forced journeys often began long before they were put on slave ships.Researchers say the study not only adds to the historical record but also helps restore part of the identities of people whose lives were erased by…