Documented Skeletal Collection
Established in 1984, the Maxwell Museum’s Documented Skeletal Collection has grown to include 235 individuals (as of September 2003) encompassing both sexes, all ages, and many population groups. The skeletal remains are obtained by donation, either by the individual before death, by the family of a deceased loved one, or by the Office of the Medical Investigator when the next of kin cannot be located. Information on the sex, age, population affinity, and cause of death is available for the majority of these individuals, so that students and visiting researchers can develop and test new techniques and theories.

Since 1995, prospective donors or their families have been asked to provide health and occupational data as well. This information allows researchers to examine the skeletal manifestations of particular diseases including degenerative joint disease, lymphoma, and osteoporosis, as well as the reaction of bone to repetitive motions and trauma. Recent research has focused on the identification of handedness in individuals and on the variation in skeletal healing rates for people who have undergone cranial surgery.

The importance of the Documented Collection cannot be overstated. No other institution in the American West has as large a collection of human skeletal remains with such extensive demographic data. In addition, the Maxwell Museum’s collection consists entirely of individuals who passed away within the last 25 years. ...read more