Provenience Clarification of Peabody Museum Human Osteology Collections

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With National Science Foundation support, the human osteology collection at the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, has been reorganized and stored in individual containers which both protect the specimens and make them readily available to researchers. Work has also been done on the supporting documentation which places these materials into a meaningful archaeological context. In this final stage of the work, the Peabody team will continue the computerization of the materials to make the data base readily accessible. This osteology collection is one of the largest and most important such systematic collections in the United States. It consists of over 15,000 individuals from well documented archaeological, medical and forensic investigations. These collections form a broad comparative resource for cross cultural research in physical anthropology. The materials are widely used by researchers and in scientific demand. Unfortunately lack of organized documentation makes them difficult to use and places an often unacceptable burden in terms of time on the researcher. This project will alleviate the situation. This project is important for several reasons. It will improve access to an important body of scientific data. It will also facilitate research which helps to explain human biological adaptation to varying environmental and cultural environments.