Researchers unearthed three skulls that were different from the hundreds of others in a mass grave discovered in Mexico City. The grave was found to be more than 500-years-old, dating back to the 16th century.

According to the archaeologists who excavated the burial site near San Jose de Los Naturales Royal Hospital, the skeletons' front teeth were filed decoratively as a ritual custom. They were buried alongside the indigenous people who made up most of the bodies at the grave.

The three unknown individuals were confirmed to have been African slaves after a genetic test. They are believed to be among the first slave trade that occurred in what is now Mexico.

History of Slavery

In 1518, a Spanish monarch named King Charles I allowed merchant ships to transport enslaved Africans to the Americas. In 1542, he liberated Indigenous people from slavery, causing an increase in demand for African slaves.

Nearly 120,000 enslaved Africans worked as servants, miners, and field workers between 1518 and 1650.

The Spanish believed the Africans fared well against diseases brought over from Europe-illnesses that nearly eliminated the entire Indigenous population.

The San Jose Hospital was built in 1530 and was initially exclusive to patients from indigenous tribes. Many died during the smallpox outbreak, and it was also said to have completely eradicated the Aztec Empire.

Disease Carriers

The three individuals were recovered in 1992 when Mexican workers were constructing a new subway. An examination of the skeletal remains suggests the slave trade may have introduced two infectious diseases to the Americas: hepatitis B and yaws.

On one man's tooth, researchers found DNA from a strain of the hepatitis B virus. The same strain is found in present-day West Africans. They believe the African slaves brought a novel form of the virus to Mexico.

Another victim's tooth showed traces of yaws, a forgotten disease that infects the bones, joints, and skins. The researchers found traces of the infection in the skeleton of a 17th-century European individual which suggests yaw continued to spread in the region a century later.

Trauma

Based on the radiocarbon dates of their teeth, scientists have concluded that they lived sometime between 1436 and 1626. As slaves, they were likely transported to Mexico in a transatlantic bondage system in the early 1500s.

The individuals did not live a comfortable life. All three in their 20s before being placed in the mass grave. Their bones displayed signs of hard labor and physical abuse. They had skull and leg fractures possibly from carrying heavy loads. They were also malnourished and suffered from parasitic infections.

The archaeologist found five pieces of buckshot in one of the victim's chest cavity, suggesting he was once shot with a gun. The bone was also stained with a greenish pigment which means the bullets stayed in the body of the victim until his death.

The findings paint a very detailed picture of the lives of African slaves, their origins, and their experiences after they were captured and sold in the slave trade. It reminds the world, once again, of the cruelty and inhumane practices of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

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