Dissection and Documented Skeletal Collections: Embodiments of Legalized Inequality

Abstract

Curated osteological collections have been used to develop methodologies and theories associated with the interpretation of skeletal remains. The George S. Huntington Anatomical Collection, the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection, the Hamann–Todd Osteological Collection and the W. Montague Cobb Human Skeletal Collection represent the most well-known and frequently used skeletal teaching collections in the USA. The use of these skeletal collections in education and research has advanced many fields related to anatomy and anthropology. However, the socially sanctioned use of unclaimed cadavers in their development has resulted in the overrepresentation of the most impoverished segments of society. A thorough understanding of the circumstances under which these human remains were acquired poses unique questions and opportunities for researchers. Knowledge of the structural violence that has led to the inclusion of particular individuals within the collections requires current anthropologists to critically reflect upon the power dynamics and impacts of their research.