Download discovering the diseases of slavery

DISCOVERING THE DISEASES OF SLAVERY
COMBINING ARCHAEOLOGY & BIOLOGY
JESSICA HENDY
The Transatlantic Slave Trade
Discovering Ancient Diseases
The transatlantic slave trade between
the 16th and 19th centuries saw
12 million African people
transported to the New World.
To learn about diseases suffered by enslaved people we
are using cutting edge techniques to analyse DNA and
proteins left behind on archaeological skeletons, in order
to discover the preserved evidence of ancient disease.
To support European economies enslaved Africans were
forced to work in American colonies, producing
goods like sugar and coffee.
This evidence can be found in preserved dental plaque.
Although it seems unusual, it’s a great way to find these
pathogens.
Slavery and the
Spread of Diseases
Studying these diseases helps to piece together a picture of
life during this era and may give us useful information for
understanding the diseases themselves.
Slave ships bringing captives to their fate also carried
infectious diseases, like smallpox, malaria and yellow
fever, parasites and disease-carrying organisms.
The slave trade resulted in the spread of introduced
diseases, decimating communities of Native Americans
and causing widespread suffering for enslaved people.
How the Past Matters Now
Diseases, like yellow fever, which spread among populations
via the slave trade continue to affect millions of people
in Africa and the Americas.
Understanding how bacteria and viruses
evolve is crucial for managing diseases in
the present day. When we look at diseases
from history, we can find evidence of this
evolution.
This helps us understand why the descendants of enslaved
people continue to be affected by the diseases of the slave
trade.
[email protected]
Supervisor: Matthew Collins
www.eurotast.eu