Two skulls likely belonging to enslaved people returned to Brazil after Harvard used them in eugenics studies
Summary
Brazil received two skulls from Harvard’s Peabody Museum on Wednesday after a four-year campaign to return the remains, which had been taken from Brazil in the 19th century and used in eugenics studies. Researchers will seek to identify the individuals, and the government says it will arrange burial rites when that work is complete.Key Facts
- One skull was taken from Salvador about 190 years ago; the other was taken from Rio de Janeiro about 160 years ago.
- Researchers believe the Salvador skull may belong to a man who took part in an 1835 revolt by about 600 African Muslims.
- Police defeated the rebels and killed 70 of them; the man believed to be the skull’s owner later died in a hospital.
- A U.S. diplomat, Gideon T. Snow, is believed to have sent the Salvador skull to Boston.
- Brazilian researchers first sought the skulls’ return after their existence became known in 2022; the government joined the effort in late 2024.
- The skulls will not be displayed in museums or have their images released.
- A Candomblé cleric performed a ritual during the Rio de Janeiro ceremony to honor the remains.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
