EUROTAST · A European Initial Training Network on the History, Archaeology, and New Genetics of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

The principal aim of this ITN is to examine the history of the transatlantic slave trade and its legacies from a variety of different angles. The idea is to hire thirteen Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) and two Experienced Researchers (ERs) across Europe and a wide range of disciplines, including history, archaeology, sociology, heritage studies and genetics, to investigate various aspects of the slave trade and its legacies today. By bringing in experts from these various fields, including some that are not traditionally associated with slave trade research, such as genetics, we hope to contribute new data that will add to our knowledge of how the slave trade operated and how it impacted on the lives of millions of people. Furthermore, we believe that this setup presents a unique opportunity to deliver a training package that will encourage interdisciplinary thinking and help us to bridge the gap between what C.P. Snow called the “two cultures” of modern society - the sciences and the humanities.2 Working together on a common theme, a team of historians, archaeologists, sociologists and ge- neticists will examine various aspects of the slave trade that will increase our understanding of this horrific period in our history and, thus, help us to come to terms with it. Last but not least, we aim to disseminate the results of our various projects as widely as possible and we believe that the unique combination of history and science will en- able us to reach a much broader spectrum of the general public than hitherto possible.