Acquisition, curation, repatriation, and reburial—these are but a few of the elements in the controversies that surround human remains and museums. Redman explores this complex history, beginning with the expanding nineteenth-century project to understand human diversity and the more remote past. The resulting collections—from battlefields, excavations of Native American cemeteries, and private estates—found their way into museum “bone rooms,” where experts gathered and organized bones from all parts of the world. The roster of often-competitive players includes such luminaries as Franz Boas, Alfred Kroeber, and Earnest Hooten, as well as Ales Hrdlicka, who amassed the Smithsonian Institution’s vast collection.
Initially, much of the research revolved around eugenics. But, as Redman points out, institutional histories and the collection of human remains were closely connected, as were visitors’ reactions to the skeletons on display in museums. He begins with two chapters covering discoveries that captivated broader audiences, such as studies of race....