A human skull, believed to have once been used as a teaching tool, was discovered at Philadelphia's Central High School this past June. Now, the School District of Philadelphia is asking its schools' administrative staff to look for other remains that may have been left on their campuses.
According to the district, per The Philadelphia Inquirer, the skull belongs to a Native American man and is believed to have been used for teaching purposes between the 1850s and mid-1900s.
The news comes at a time of increased attention on the use of human remains in educational settings—and the commercial trade of human bones, often belonging to the bodies of marginalized peoples, that enabled it.
"No human skeletal teaching collections have been a part of the School District of Philadelphia's curriculum for at least a decade or more," said a district statement, per the Inquirer. However, the newspaper said they spoke to a source who reported that there is no official record of the practice ever being banned.
According to NBC Philadelphia, the news was shared with parents in a letter on Friday. The so-called "human skeletal item" was reportedly found in a closet.
The district has since been working with the Department of Interior and Temple University experts on how to navigate the unusual situation. Evelyn Nunez, the district's chief of schools, said in the letter: "The District is also working with these partners to return this person, who has been identified as a male Native American, to his home tribe."
"This is part of the story of early medicine around the world where the deceased entered collections without their consent from cemeteries and other contexts," said Kimberly Williams, chair of Temple University's anthropology department, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. "For BIPOC communities, this practice was further complicated by the sale and trade of archaeological and modern crania during an era of inquiry about the differences between the 'races.' "
In the incident's aftermath, the school district has acknowledged that "all human remains deserve to be treated with dignity and respect" and instructed its principals to inspect their campuses for any human or animal skeletal remains.
"As an added proactive measure and with the utmost sensitivity, the District is working with all high school leaders to search for any other potential skeletal teaching items that may be stored in its high schools," the district said in a statement to Newsweek. "Dr. Williams will continue to work with the District to help assess any identified skeletal items to ensure that, if human, they are treated with dignity and respect, and properly secured, preserved and treated in accordance with regulations and laws."
"We truly appreciate the support and partnership of Dr. Williams, Temple University and the Department of the Interior as we all work together to navigate this sensitive matter."
Today, the sale and trade of human skeletal items remain contentious. Over the past several months, TikToker and online osteology dealer Jon-Pichaya Ferry has drawn criticism for his role in the ongoing commercial sale of human bones.
"Human remains should never be sold," explained Robyn Wakefield Murphy, an assistant anatomy professor at the New York Chiropractic College, per ABC News. "There are legitimate, ethical ways for institutions and researchers to obtain human bodies for research, and that is through cadaveric donation programs."
Wake Forest law professor Tanya Marsh added that the sale and purchase of human remains "is unethical because there is no consent."
"People don't request to be skeletonized before they pass, especially when it comes to fetus skulls," she told ABC. "It is not privileged members of society whose bones end up being sold; it is people who are marginalized while they are alive, and they are further dehumanized and marginalized during death."
Per his website, however, Ferry defends his practice as an effort to "destigmatize a stigmatized industry."
