Research into transatlantic slavery legacy

BIOLOGICAL samples will be taken from ancient human remains in the Caribbean as part of a £3.5m project exploring the history of transatlantic slavery and its legacies.

By The Newsroom

Published 12th Jun 2012, 07:00 BST

York University academics are joining forces with scholars from across Europe for the research to analyse the remains in former plantations and burial sites to provide a fuller picture of the health of enslaved Africans. It is hoped the study will increase the understanding of specific diseases caused by mistreatment and malnourishment, such as scurvy.

The EUROTAST initiative will support 13 PhD researchers and two Post Doctoral researchers in a training network across 10 partner European institutions. They will investigate the history of the transatlantic slave trade through projects in history, archaeology, social anthropology and genetics.

To mark the beginning of the project, James Walvin, Emeritus Professor of History at York University, will deliver a public lecture today.

Caribbean Europe