Unveiling the DNA Connection: Africa’s Stolen Skulls Traced to Living Descendants

Scientists have made an extraordinary discovery by identifying the living descendants of people whose skulls were taken from Africa during German colonial rule. In an effort that began in 2017, the Museum of Prehistory and Early History in Berlin has been working tirelessly to trace the origins of 1,100 out of 7,700 skulls that were obtained from a local hospital museum in 2011. These skulls were believed to have been looted from German colonies in Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, not only as trophies but also for discredited research aimed at proving the alleged superiority of white Europeans, as noted by the BBC. Due to their poor condition and lack of records, identifying the skulls has been a challenging task. However, some numbers and words found on the skulls have provided valuable clues about their origins, according to Insider.

After an extensive investigation, researchers have recently managed to gather enough information about eight of the skulls to request DNA samples from ten individuals who were considered possible descendants. The results revealed that two of the individuals were “likely” matches, while one was a perfect match, as reported by Insider. This finding confirms that an individual living in Tanzania is indeed a descendant of someone whose skull bore the inscription “akida,” a title given to advisors to tribal chiefs during German colonial rule. The specific “akida” is believed to have been a high-ranking advisor to Mangi Meli, the ruler of the Chagga people in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania (part of the former German East Africa colony). After rebelling against German colonialists in 1900, Mangi Meli was executed, and his skull was subsequently taken to Germany, as stated in the BBC.

“Discovering a match like this is nothing short of a miracle and will likely remain an exceptional case even with the most thorough research into the skulls’ origins,” said Hermann Parzinger, president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK), based in Berlin, as reported by the AFP. The SPK, which oversees museums in Berlin, will inform the relatives and government of Tanzania as soon as possible, according to a statement. The SPK has previously returned skulls belonging to victims of the Herero and Nama tribes, who were victims of genocide in what was formerly known as German South West Africa, back to Namibia. Other European countries still hold skulls taken from Africa. After years of pleas, the Natural History Museum in Britain finally agreed last year to return some skulls to Zimbabwe, as stated in the Telegraph. (Read more Tanzania stories.)