14 DAY TRIAL // Archaeologists working on a tiny patch of land called the island of St. Helena, about 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) off the southwestern coasts of Africa announce the discovery of a burial ground for slaves.
It is estimated that more than 5,000 of the estimated 26,000 slaves that passed through here met their end on the island. All of them belonged to slave ships that were prevented from delivering their cargo by the British Royal Navy, between 1840 and 1872.
This was a time when British authorities were enforcing a ban on slave trading. The recovered Africans were brought to the island, which was converted to a hospital and refugee camp. However, this location is unsuited for either of those applications, hence the large death toll.
The team that made the dig was led by University of Bristol Department of Archaeology and Anthropology expert, Dr. Andrew Pearson, PhysOrg reports.