Slideshow: Slave Burial Ground in the Atlantic

The World
For the Geo Quiz, we are looking for tiny island in the middle of the vast South Atlantic Ocean. It is an isolated spot 1,000 miles off the coast of west Africa. That is why the British once used it as place of exile for Napoleon. After Britain abolished slavery, the island became an important way-station for ships sailing across the Atlantic. Specifically British Royal Navy ships that were intercepting slave ships. Thousands of enslaved Africans were taken off slave ships and brought to this island by Royal Navy Patrols. The island served as 19th century version of a refugee camp, a hospital and in many cases a graveyard. St. Helena is the answer to the Geo Quiz. It is here that archaeologists from the University of Bristol have been carrying out excavations to unearth slave burial sites.
Will you keep The World spinning?

Donations from listeners like you are absolutely crucial in funding the great music and human-centered global news you hear on The World. Recurring gifts provide predictable, sustainable support — letting our team focus on telling the stories you don’t hear anywhere else. If you make a gift of $100 or pledge $10/month we’ll send you a curated playlist highlighting some of the team's favorite music from the show Donate today to keep The World spinning.