Community-engaged ancient DNA project reveals diverse origins of 18th-century African descendants in Charleston, South Carolina

Abstract

Through the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project, we have investigated the lives of thirty-six 18th-century individuals from Charleston, South Carolina, using bioarchaeological and genomic methods. We report low coverage genomic data from 18 individuals that reveal a diversity of ancestral connections across western Africa, including one individual with genomic affiliations with Fulani peoples of West Africa. Overall, this study describes the largest number of ancient genomes from African-descended persons in North America, substantially increasing our understanding of African diversity and history in colonial America. This study further demonstrates how ancient DNA research can be conducted in close collaboration with stakeholder communities, which is a critical step in building an ethical framework for the field of paleogenomics. Keywords: paleogenomics, trans-Atlantic slave trade, Colonial North America, haplotype, ancestry