Strontium isoscape of sub-Saharan Africa allows tracing origins of victims of the transatlantic slave trade,
Discipline: Histoire & Archéologie
Auteur(s): Xueye Wang1,2, Gaëlle Bocksberger 2,3, Mimi Arandjelovic 4, Anthony Agbor4, Samuel Angedakin4, Floris Aubert5, Emmanuel Ayuk Ayimisin4, Emma Bailey4, Donatienne Barubiyo4, Mattia Bessone 4, René Bobe 6,7, Matthieu Bonnet4, Renée Boucher2, Gregory Brazzola4, Simon Brewer 8, Kevin C. Lee4, Susana Carvalho 6,7, Rebecca Chancellor9, Chloe Cipoletta10, Heather Cohen 4, Sandi R. Copeland11, Katherine Corogenes4, Ana Maria Costa 12, Charlotte Coupland4, Bryan Curran4, Darryl J. de Ruiter13, Tobias Deschner14, Paula Dieguez 15, Karsten Dierks4, Emmanuel Dilambaka10, Dervla Dowd5, Andrew Dunn10, Villard Ebot Egbe4, Manfred Finckh 16, Barbara Fruth 17, Liza Gijanto18, Yisa Ginath Yuh 4, Annemarie Goedmakers 19, Cameron Gokee20, Rui Gomes Coelho 21,22, Alan H. Goodman23, Anne-CélineGranjon 4, Vaughan Grimes24, CyrilC.Grueter 25, Anne Haour 26, DanielaHedwig27, Veerle Hermans 28, R. AdrianaHernandez-Aguilar 29,30, Gottfried Hohmann4, Inaoyom Imong10, Kathryn J. Jeffery 31, Sorrel Jones 32, Jessica Junker4, Parag Kadam 33, Mbangi Kambere4, Mohamed Kambi4, Ivonne Kienast4, Kelly J. Knudson34, Kevin E. Langergraber34,Vincent Lapeyre5, JuanLapuente4, BradleyLarson4, Thea Lautenschläger35,36, Petrus le Roux 37, Vera Leinert5, Manuel Llana30, Amanda Logan38, Brynn Lowry2, Tina Lüdecke 39, Giovanna Maretti4, Sergio Marrocoli4, Rumen Fernandez4, Patricia J. McNeill40, Amelia C. Meier 41, PaulinaMeller16, J. Cameron Monroe2, David Morgan42, Felix Mulindahabi10, Mizuki Murai4, Emily Neil 4,43, Sonia Nicholl 4, Protais Niyigaba10, Emmanuelle Normand44, Lucy Jayne Ormsby4, Orume Diotoh45, Liliana Pacheco 46, Alex Piel4,47, Jodie Preece4, Sebastien Regnaut 5, Francois G. Richard48, Michael P. Richards 49, Aaron Rundus9, Crickette Sanz 50,51, Volker Sommer47,52, Matt Sponheimer53, Teresa E. Steele 40, Fiona A. Stewart4,47, Nikki Tagg 28, Luc Roscelin Tédonzong 28, Alexander Tickle4, Lassané Toubga 54, Joost van Schijndel4, Virginie Vergnes44, Nadege Wangue Njomen55, ErinG.Wessling56,57, Jacob Willie 28, RomanM.Wittig58,59, KyleYurkiw4, AndrewM. Zipkin34, Klaus Zuberbühler60, Hjalmar S. Kühl4,15,61,62, Christophe Boesch 4,63 & VickyM.Oelze 2
Renseignée par : TOUBGA Lassané
Résumé
Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis with reference to strontium isotope landscapes (Sr isoscapes) allows reconstructing mobility and migration in archaeology, ecology, and forensics. However, despite the vast potential of research involving 87Sr/86Sr analysis particularly in Africa, Sr isoscapes remain unavailable for the largest parts of the continent. Here, we measure the 87Sr/86Sr ratios in 778 environmental samples from 24 African countries and combine this data with published data to model a bioavailable Sr isoscape for
sub-Saharan Africa using random forest regression. We demonstrate the efficacy of this Sr isoscape, in combination with other lines of evidence, to trace the African roots of individuals from historic slavery contexts, particularly those with highly radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr ratios uncommon in the African Diaspora. Our study provides an extensive African 87Sr/86Sr dataset which includes scientifically marginalized regions of Africa, with significant implications for the archaeology of the transatlantic slave trade,wildlife ecology, conservation, and forensics.
Mots-clés
Strontium isoscape, sub-Saharan Africa, victims of the transatlantic slave trade