Collaborative effort to study Grenada’s Precolumbian Burials begins

Dr Kendra Sirak from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA visited Grenada last week as part of a region-wide programme focused on studying the DNA of ancient Caribbean people.

With the help of participants from the Grenada Public Archaeology Network (GPAN) in Sauteurs and La Sagesse, Dr Sirak collected small samples of skeletal material held at the Grenada National Museum (GNM). These samples will later be analysed in an ancient DNA (aDNA) clean lab for traces of each person’s DNA, providing deep insight into the Amerindian population of Grenada before the first Europeans arrived.

“Similar to archaeology, we use ancient DNA to learn about people who lived in the past,” said Dr Sirak. “By studying their genomes, we can learn where their ancestors came from, how and when they moved across regions or between continents, how they interacted with other people, and how they are genetically connected to people living today. Ancient DNA data are especially powerful when combined with evidence from archaeology, linguistics, and oral history – and this is just one of the reasons why we are so excited to collaborate with people from Grenada on this project.”

Garth Neptune was one of the GPAN participants that helped excavate a burial near La Sagesse that was now being sampled. “I really loved the feeling of discovery,” he said. “It felt like we were going to get answers to questions we’ve had for so long. It was really gratifying.”

Dr Jonathan Hanna, the lead archaeologist for GPAN, has been methodically cataloging the GNM’s collections for several years. “This really illustrates how important it is that the museum maintains these artifacts from Grenada’s past for posterity,” he said. “So, when someone like Dr Sirak comes along and is willing to do something amazing for us – something we can learn and benefit from tremendously – we are ready. We can open our database and locate exactly what she needs without having to sift through hundreds of thousands of objects.”

The project was over a year in the making, as permissions were required from the GNM and Ministry of Culture, coupled with several delays caused by Covid-19 last year.

However, now 18 samples have been collected from a range of archaeological sites across the island, including Dragon Bay, Beausejour, Sauteurs Bay, Pearls, Simon Beach, La Sagesse, Lance Pere, True Blue, and Grand Anse. Dr Sirak noted that laboratory analysis will likely take at least 3-6 months for the initial results and affirmed that all results will be shared with the Grenadian public. “We hope that this project will be a chance for Grenadians to celebrate the people of the past. Ancient DNA data is an important part of national heritage, so ensuring that Grenadians have the opportunity to help shape the project, as well as hear about the scientific findings and what they mean is a very important part of this project. We hope to build a strong relationship with people on this island,” said Dr Sirak.

GPAN is an initiative of the Institute for People’s Enlightenment (IPE) and supported by UNESCO, under which the Sauteurs group (SCHAP) had a formal closing of their first phase on Sunday. Drs. Sirak and Hanna both thanked the Board of the Grenada National Museum, the Ministry of Culture, UNESCO, IPE, and several GPAN students for their help in making the visit such a success.

GPAN