I've been working on a project at the Mutter Museum of the College of
Physicians in Philadelphia and need some help.  The museum has declared
about 60 Native American crania in accordance with NAGPRA regulations.
For most of these I have determined sex, age, pathologies, etc.  The main
thing we are unable to determine is the cultural affiliation of the
remains.
        Many of these crania have the letters "F.C.A.R." on the left side
and then a number underneath that.  The highest number is over 300.  So it
would seem that these are from an earlier collection (the records are
unclear, but these skulls seem to have been donated in the late 19th
century).  They were donated by George Engelmann and Adolphus Wislizenus,
both of whom were affiliated with the Missouri Historical Society in St.
Louis.  The skulls themselves are mainly from cysts near French Vilalge,
Illinois.
        Does anyone know what these initials--FCAR--stand for?  It would
be a great help in determining the origins of these remains both to know
whether the rest of the collection still exists and whether we can
determine with certainty the cultural affiliation of the individuals
represented in the collection.
        Thanks in advance for your help. Please send any comments,
suggestions or ideas to me at

[log in to unmask]

Matthew B. Rowley