Ancient DNA and bioarchaeological perspectives on European and African diversity and relationships on the colonial Delaware frontier

Abstract

Objectives: Ancient DNA (aDNA) and standard osteological analyses applied to 11 skeletons at a late 17th to early 18th century farmstead site in Delaware to investigate the biological and social factors of settlement and slavery in colonial America. Materials and methods: Osteological analysis and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing were conducted for all individuals and the resulting data contextualized with archaeological and documentary evidence. Results: Individuals of European and African descent were spatially separated in this colonial cemetery. The skeletal remains exhibited differences in osteological features and maternal genetic ancestry. A specific mtDNA haplotype appeared in a subset of the European-descended individuals suggesting they were maternally related. Individuals of African descent were not maternally related, and instead showed a diversity of haplotypes affiliated with present-day Western, Central, and Eastern regions of Africa. Discussion: Along with the bioarchaeological and documentary evidence, the aDNA findings contribute to our understanding of life on the colonial Delaware frontier. Evidence of maternal relatedness among European-descended individuals at the site demonstrates kin-based settlements in 17th century Delaware and provides preliminary identifications of individuals. The maternal genetic diversity of the individuals with African descent aligns with the routes of the trans-Atlantic slave trade but broadens our understanding of the ancestries of persons involved in it. Burial positioning, osteological pathology, and lack of maternal kinship among individuals of African descent provide tangible evidence for the emergence of racialized labor and society in Delaware during the late 17th century.

Ancestry, health, and lived experiences of enslaved Africans in 18th century Charleston: An osteobiographical analysis

“…The overall lack of biological maternal kinship within the ASABG is similar to findings for other aDNA studies of colonial era African‐descended persons (Barquera et al, 2020; Fleskes et al, 2019; Lee et al, 2009; Sandoval‐Velasco et al, 2019; Schroeder et al, 2015). This finding clearly reflects the violence enacted in the separation of families during the lived process of enslavement, as previously documented (Berlin, 2009; Pargas, 2009).…”

“…Pipe wear facets appear in the teeth of Kwebena (CHS21), Pita (CHS29), Tima (CHS31), and Fumu (CHS19), with the latter being buried with clay pipe fragments. These distinctive facets have been identified in other colonial‐era individuals (Ubelaker, 1996), including African individuals in the Chesapeake (Fleskes et al, 2019) and Barbados (Corruccini et al, 1982). These observations attest to the habitual practice of smoking tobacco by some of the Anson Street Ancestors and other African persons in the Americas.…”

“…When compared to other published mtDNA data for historic period African descended individuals, there is a notable overlap in haplogroup sharing. Of the 42 individuals for whom published data are available, 12 share derived haplogroups with the Anson Street Ancestors (Barquera et al, 2020; Fleskes et al, 2019; Lee et al, 2009; Sandoval‐Velasco et al, 2019; Santana et al, 2016; Schroeder et al, 2015). This observation suggests similarities in the maternal ancestries of populations living in regions targeted during the trans‐Atlantic slave trade.…”

“…While bioarchaeological and biochemical methods have generated critical information about demography, health, and mobility, new genomic techniques have greatly enlarged our understanding of the ancestry and biological relationships of historic period African populations and their descendants (Benn Torres, 2018; Jackson & Borgelin, 2010). The extraction of DNA from archeological individuals (i.e., ancient DNA) has provided insights into the origins of 17th and 18th century enslaved individuals (Barquera et al, 2020; Fleskes et al, 2019; Lee, Anderson, Dale, & Merriwether, 2009; Sandoval‐Velasco et al, 2019; Schroeder et al, 2015). Autosomal and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analyses from these studies indicate the majority of these enslaved persons had ancestral affiliations with West and Central African populations.…”

The genetic legacy of African Americans from Catoctin Furnace

“…Advances in ancient DNA (aDNA) technology have made it possible to use genetic data as a tool for restoring knowledge of enslaved and historically marginalized peoples whose stories were often omitted from or disregarded in written records. Studies of the New York African Burial Ground (14,15), the Anson Street ancestors (16,17), and others (18,19) used a combination of anthropological and biomolecular tools to provide insight into the identity and life history of enslaved individuals through the study of their remains. However, the ability of those studies to localize the African origins of these individuals was limited by the exclusive use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (20) and/or reliance on comparisons with data from publicly available reference datasets (21,22).…”