Out of the Closet: The Research Value of Human Skeletal Collections

We are fascinated by ancient human remains. Headlines in Time Magazine and The New York Times, with accompanying photos of the newly discovered four-thousand year old Bronze age man attest to our innate curiosity about the species Homo sapiens (Elmer-Dewitt, 1991; Fowler, 1991a, b). But what is the scientific value of human skeletal collections? In an age of multicultural sensitivity and the issues raised by the call for repatriation of human skeletal remains from museum repositories, several important questions are raised. What do osteoanthropologists learn from their studies, and how do the results benefit humanity? The goal of this paper is to emphasize three major points: (1) the high methodological standards and quality of the research being conducted on human skeletal collections; (2) the original approaches to traditional and innovative questions; and (3) the immediate relevance to broader global issues. In the past, researchers have put forth little effort to publicly discuss the important result and broad implications of their work. Except for the occasional high-profile example making its way to the public eye, osteologists have been quite content to go about their work, remaining out of the limelight. But now the same scientific community is coming under (deserved) criticism for failing to familiarize adequately the public, and those people who might benefit from the results of specific projects. Native groups calling for reburial of skeletal collections rightly ask for examples of the research being conducted on this material, and the answers are not always forthcoming (Woodbury 1992). The reticence of scientists and the lack of accessible information has created a climate for an antiscience sentiment to manipulate public opinion. People do not realize the potential of new kinds of scientific studies being done or how the results of such studies affect their lives, nor do they realize the broad implications of permanently losing irreplaceable information by halting research on human skeletal material (Mulvaney 1991; Owsley and Compton 1990; Hedges 1989; Ubelaker and Grant 1989; Owsley 1984). It is important to note that many recent studies rely upon skeletal material from all over the world, not just North America. Trends in genetically inherited diseases such as diabetes, or predispositions for certain skeletal anomalies (e.g., spina bifida) in ancient populations often hold the key to understanding modern health problems (see Sykes 1991). Many of the issues being pursued today have direct impact upon the health and welfare of indigenous and migrant populations. Other problems are viewed with an evolutionary perspective, not focusing on small interpopulational variation but looking at the "big picture" of human change over time. The best way to illustrate the importance of preserving and studying osteological material is to give a few brief examples of current research using human skeletal collections. The techniques for gathering data are sophisticated and elaborate. Many were unheard of even a few decades ago. No one can predict what new analytic tools will be available in the future. And the promise to confirm or contradict current linguistic, archaeological, and social theories is limitless (Cavalli-Sforza 1991; Fink and Merbs 1991). The surge of innovative research reflects the great promise for further insight into a wide variety of universal biocultural phenomena.