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Two skulls likely belonging to enslaved people returned to Brazil after Harvard used them in eugenics studies

Remains believed to have belonged to Africans or Afro-Brazilians repatriated after being flown back by diplomats Two skulls, including that of a man believed to have taken part in Brazil’s greatest slave revolt but whose remains were taken to the United States and used in racist eugenics studies at Harvard University, were repatriated on Wednesday. The remains had been outside Brazil since the 19th century. One was taken about 190 years ago from Salvador, the capital of the state of Bahia; the other, about 160 years ago, from Rio de Janeiro – and were welcomed back in moving, subdued ceremonies in both cities. Continue reading...

Image from linked report: Two skulls likely belonging to enslaved people returned to Brazil after Harvard used them in eugenics studies
Image from the linked report: Two skulls likely belonging to enslaved people returned to Brazil after Harvard used them in eugenics studies.Credit: The Guardian Thumbnail shown with attribution and outbound source link; VINI does not claim ownership or republish the original article body. Image source Image shown with attribution and an outbound source link; VINI does not claim ownership or republish the original article body.
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Remains believed to have belonged to Africans or Afro-Brazilians repatriated after being flown back by diplomats Two skulls, including that of a man believed to have taken part in Brazil’s greatest slave revolt but whose remains were taken to the United States and used in racist eugenics studies at Harvard University, were repatriated on Wednesday. The remains had been outside Brazil since the 19th century. One was taken about 190 years ago from Salvador, the capital of the state of Bahia; the other, about 160 years ago, from Rio de Janeiro – and were welcomed back in moving, subdued ceremonies in both cities. Continue reading...

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What happened

According to The Guardian’s source item, Two skulls likely belonging to enslaved people returned to Brazil after Harvard used them in eugenics studies, Remains believed to have belonged to Africans or Afro-Brazilians repatriated after being flown back by diplomats Two skulls, including that of a man believed to have taken part in Brazil’s greatest slave revolt but whose remains were taken to the United States and used in racist eugenics studies at Harvard University, were repatriated on Wednesday. The remains had been outside Brazil since the 19th century. One was taken about 190 years ago from Salvador, the capital of the state of Bahia; the other, about 160 years ago, from Rio de Janeiro – and were welcomed back in moving, subdued ceremonies in both cities. Continue reading…

Context

The development sits in VINI’s Global file for readers following international affairs, institutions, conflict, diplomacy, economics, and cross-border consequences. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-11-11T22:50:37+00:00.

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Primary source: Two skulls likely belonging to enslaved people returned to Brazil after Harvard used them in eugenics studies via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.

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