Rio de Janeiro (Lord Media): In a startling discovery, human bones were unearthed during the renovation of a nearly 150-year-old house in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, revealing a grim chapter linked to the era of slavery. Archaeologists investigating the site found that the house was built atop a historic cemetery used for the burial of African slaves.
The discovery was made in 1996 when the homeowner, Mercedes Baptista Gomes Pereira, stumbled upon human remains while workers were refurbishing the floor. Experts confirmed that the location was part of a cemetery used in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Historians estimate that between 20,000 to 40,000 African slaves were buried there between 1769 and 1830. These individuals perished either during the transatlantic journey or shortly after arriving in Brazil.
The homeowner noted that breaking any part of the floor revealed bones beneath, initially unaware that her house was situated above a mass grave.
The site now hosts the Pretos Novos Institute Museum, preserving the archaeological remains discovered there.
