Have a forensic anthropologist look at them. They can tell from even very small pieces whether they are human (both you and the son are assuming that they are). The pieces can be tested, but it won't tell you much, except if you find traces of formaldehyde or other chemicals it would confirm that they were medical specimens. "Race" can be very difficult to determine, especially from small fragments that have been altered, so I would respectfully decline or defer to another museum more accustomed to dealing with this issue if they are certainly human. If you really want this item for your collection, either ask for the pieces to be removed or engage a consultant who is experienced at dealing with human remains in museums. As I side-note, I think the inclusion of skeletal material in such a work makes a lot of sense, and actually adds a layer of depth to the story. I don't think it's "gross" at all. =) -Casandra Karl Museum Solutions Consulting www.museumsolutions.net On Thu, Oct 3, 2013 at 12:36 PM, David Harvey <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I would ask the donor to remove the cranium fragments before you can > consider accepting the shadow box. > > Cheers! > Dave > > David Harvey > Senior Conservator and Museum Consultant > Los Angeles CA > www.cityofangelsconservation.weebly.com > > > On Thu, Oct 3, 2013 at 8:21 AM, Cathy Osterman <[log in to unmask] > > wrote: > >> Hi everyone, >> >> My historical society has been offered a shadow box memorializing a well >> known individual from our town. The individual was a dentist and the shadow >> box was created by his son, also a dentist. In this shadow box, there are >> three small pieces of a cranium cut to resemble the 'M' from the University >> of Minnesota logo where the dentist received training. (Gross, right??) The >> historical society does not have a human remains policy and we have in the >> collection other remains that we know are not Native American. >> What legal/ethical implications should I be considering before accepting >> this? >> >> >> Cathy Osterman >> Curator/ Archivist >> Northfield Historical Society >> Northfield, MN >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: >> http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 >> > > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: > http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 > ========================================================= 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).