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Which missionary heart was buried in Africa?

The Hunterian has, in its collection, a slice of the tree under which the Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone's heart was buried.



The heart of the famous Scottish missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone was buried in Africa upon his death in 1873. Livingstone died in the village of Chief Chitambo in present-day Zambia. His loyal African companions, Susi and Chuma, believed that his heart belonged to the continent he loved and explored so deeply. They removed his heart and viscera and buried them under a Mpundu tree (also known as a "Livingstone tree") in the village. They then mummified his body with salt and carried it over 1,000 miles to the coast of East Africa so it could be returned to Britain. While his body was eventually interred with great honors in Westminster Abbey in London, the physical burial of his heart in Zambia remains a powerful symbol of his lifelong commitment to Africa. Today, a monument stands at the site in Zambia where his heart was laid to rest, serving as a pilgrimage site for those honoring his legacy of abolitionism and geographical discovery.

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Originally known as the Old Drift, Livingstone owes its existence primarily to the Victoria Falls and was established as a staging point across the Zambezi River. The town is named after Dr. David Livingstone, the first European to see, name and publicise the Falls.

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In spite of his paternalism and Victorian prejudices, Livingstone believed wholeheartedly in the African's ability to advance into the modern world. He was, in this sense, a forerunner not only of European imperialism in Africa but also of African nationalism.

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