Nikkie, The other answers have been excellent, but I'll add another one or two.... (Who knows what will finally be 'heard' by the person?) Even if there were a reason that they are historically significant (artist was significant, local medical school history, etc., are stretching it but maybe), it still would be most inappropriate to put them on exhibit. So, if they have no research value, and no exhibit value, even if they had some marginal significance to your mission, what the heck would they be good for except taking up valuable storage space? You could also tell him that if they did really come from the medical community, there is some likelihood that they originated in India, which was the origin of a lot of human skeletal materials sold for medical and study purposes. (They were usually from indigent deceased or similar sad circumstances, and I think that extremely poor people even sold their own bodies before death to obtain money for their families.) That might make it even more clear that the proposed gift is outside the realm of your local history museum. This sounds like a phenomenon that is all too common in history museums....if someone has something that is difficult to get rid of, they decide that the local museum is the ideal place to 'put' it. Be kind and polite but FIRM. And get skilled at suggesting a "better home" for offers such as this...." a place where they will be much more useful"....it can really take the heat off. In this case you could suggest that he offer the skulls to a nearby college that teaches Physical Anthropology, where they could be used as teaching specimens in lab classes. They would also have the expertise to determine probable origins and possible NAGPRA status. I believe it's relatively easy to distinguish between bones that have been in the ground and those that have not. Lucy Sperlin Chico, CA Curator Fort Morgan Museum wrote: > > Oh Great and Knowledgeable Ones- > > I had an offer this morning from an artist to give me two human skulls when > he is no longer able to create art and use them in his still lifes- > > I told him that I could not afford to accept them since as we are an AAM > accredited and NAGPRA compliant local history museum and I would need to get > an anthropological study of them done to determine age and ethniticity (not > bad for off the cuff/on the spot thinking)- he said that would not be needed > since both were given to him by members of the medical profession and that > they came from medical schools- I don't like his logic, especially since I > know one of the men was a local arrowhead hunter, and who knows what else he > dug up- > > Does anyone have any other suggestions or logical arguments I could use to > not accept these items- and did I mention he's bosom buds with two different > board members? > > Nikkie "One head is enough, thank you" Cooper > > Nikkie Cooper, Curator > Fort Morgan Museum > > P.O. Box 184 > Fort Morgan, CO 80701 > 970-867-6331 > [log in to unmask] > > ========================================================= > Important Subscriber Information: > > The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). > > If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).