blog posts DNA from 200-year-old pipe links enslaved woman to Sierra Leone Mar 21, 2019 11:45 am by SmithsonianIllinois in the News Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images Smithsonian (March 19) Non-human artifacts do not typically yield much in the way of useable human DNA, but clay is porous, allowing liquids like saliva and blood to be easily absorbed. Share on Facebook Tweet Email