NewsAnthropologyAn African strontium map sheds light on the origins of enslaved peoplePinpointing birthplaces based on dental records can deepen understanding of the slave trade From the 15th to the 19th centuries, more than 12 million Africans were enslaved and sent to the Americas and Europe. Combining dental records with a map of strontium ratios across sub-Saharan Africa is allowing researchers to pinpoint some slaves' birthplaces.Joseph Swain/Wikimedia CommonsBy Katherine Kornei4 hours agoA little-known element is shedding light on the transatlantic slave trade. Researchers have assembled a map of strontium, a naturally occurring element, across sub-Saharan Africa. These data can be compared with strontium levels measured in human remains to more precisely pin down the geographic origins of individuals sold into slavery, the team reported December 30 in Nature Communications.From the 15th to the 19th centuries, more than 12 million Africans were sold into slavery and sent to the Americas and Europe. Large port cities such as Lagos, Nigeria, and Luanda, Angola, were common points of departure from Africa, but the actual origins of most enslaved people that is, where they were born and raised were often lost to history. And while genetic evidence can reveal a persons ancestry, it doesnt pinpoint where someone grew up.