DNA analysis provides insight into ancestry of enslaved African Americans in early US history

Researchers analyzed DNA from an iron forge cemetery in Maryland housing remains of enslaved individuals
Genetic connections were found linking the enslaved people to present-day populations in West Africa
Descendants of the enslaved workers were identified, showing familial lineages
The study demonstrates how genomics can reconstruct ancestry erased by slavery
Enslaved people were largely excluded from historical records and treated as property rather than individuals