Nature Communications (Dec 2024)

Strontium isoscape of sub-Saharan Africa allows tracing origins of victims of the transatlantic slave trade

  • Xueye Wang,
  • Gaëlle Bocksberger,
  • Mimi Arandjelovic,
  • Anthony Agbor,
  • Samuel Angedakin,
  • Floris Aubert,
  • Emmanuel Ayuk Ayimisin,
  • Emma Bailey,
  • Donatienne Barubiyo,
  • Mattia Bessone,
  • René Bobe,
  • Matthieu Bonnet,
  • Renée Boucher,
  • Gregory Brazzola,
  • Simon Brewer,
  • Kevin C. Lee,
  • Susana Carvalho,
  • Rebecca Chancellor,
  • Chloe Cipoletta,
  • Heather Cohen,
  • Sandi R. Copeland,
  • Katherine Corogenes,
  • Ana Maria Costa,
  • Charlotte Coupland,
  • Bryan Curran,
  • Darryl J. de Ruiter,
  • Tobias Deschner,
  • Paula Dieguez,
  • Karsten Dierks,
  • Emmanuel Dilambaka,
  • Dervla Dowd,
  • Andrew Dunn,
  • Villard Ebot Egbe,
  • Manfred Finckh,
  • Barbara Fruth,
  • Liza Gijanto,
  • Yisa Ginath Yuh,
  • Annemarie Goedmakers,
  • Cameron Gokee,
  • Rui Gomes Coelho,
  • Alan H. Goodman,
  • Anne-Céline Granjon,
  • Vaughan Grimes,
  • Cyril C. Grueter,
  • Anne Haour,
  • Daniela Hedwig,
  • Veerle Hermans,
  • R. Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar,
  • Gottfried Hohmann,
  • Inaoyom Imong,
  • Kathryn J. Jeffery,
  • Sorrel Jones,
  • Jessica Junker,
  • Parag Kadam,
  • Mbangi Kambere,
  • Mohamed Kambi,
  • Ivonne Kienast,
  • Kelly J. Knudson,
  • Kevin E. Langergraber,
  • Vincent Lapeyre,
  • Juan Lapuente,
  • Bradley Larson,
  • Thea Lautenschläger,
  • Petrus le Roux,
  • Vera Leinert,
  • Manuel Llana,
  • Amanda Logan,
  • Brynn Lowry,
  • Tina Lüdecke,
  • Giovanna Maretti,
  • Sergio Marrocoli,
  • Rumen Fernandez,
  • Patricia J. McNeill,
  • Amelia C. Meier,
  • Paulina Meller,
  • J. Cameron Monroe,
  • David Morgan,
  • Felix Mulindahabi,
  • Mizuki Murai,
  • Emily Neil,
  • Sonia Nicholl,
  • Protais Niyigaba,
  • Emmanuelle Normand,
  • Lucy Jayne Ormsby,
  • Orume Diotoh,
  • Liliana Pacheco,
  • Alex Piel,
  • Jodie Preece,
  • Sebastien Regnaut,
  • Francois G. Richard,
  • Michael P. Richards,
  • Aaron Rundus,
  • Crickette Sanz,
  • Volker Sommer,
  • Matt Sponheimer,
  • Teresa E. Steele,
  • Fiona A. Stewart,
  • Nikki Tagg,
  • Luc Roscelin Tédonzong,
  • Alexander Tickle,
  • Lassané Toubga,
  • Joost van Schijndel,
  • Virginie Vergnes,
  • Nadege Wangue Njomen,
  • Erin G. Wessling,
  • Jacob Willie,
  • Roman M. Wittig,
  • Kyle Yurkiw,
  • Andrew M. Zipkin,
  • Klaus Zuberbühler,
  • Hjalmar S. Kühl,
  • Christophe Boesch,
  • Vicky M. Oelze

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55256-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

Read online

Abstract 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.