Ambiguous provenance? Experience with provenance analysis of human remains from Namibia in the Alexander Ecker Collection

Bibliographic Data

ID3778294
AuthorsUrsula Wittwer-Backofen, Ursula Wittwer‐Backofen, Mareen Kästner, Daniel Möller (0000-0001-7003-3164), Marina Vohberger (0000-0003-2185-7946), Sabine Lutz-Bonengel, Sabine Lutz‐Bonengel (0000-0002-5644-1871), Dieter Speck
Year2014
Volume71
Issue1-2
Pages65-86
Publication date2014-03-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnthropologischer Anzeiger (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0003-5548 • E-ISSN: 2363-7099
PublisherS ch we iz er ba rt (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1127/0003-5548/2014/0382
PMID24818440
OpenAlexW2319021089
LanguageEN
Citations received4

The project's aim is to verify the existence of Herero and Nama skulls among the roughly 1370 skulls in the Alexander Ecker collection (AEC). Methods include historical research, which was mainly concerned with the AEC and especially Eugen Fischer during his time as curator, as well as the methods of acquisition of human remains and scientific methods to verify the identity of the relevant skulls. Scientific methods include morphological sex and age-at-death verification, morphological estimation of ancestry, morphometric analysis and the application of UV light to decipher old labels on the skull surfaces, as well as a molecular biology approach (mtDNA) and stable isotope analyses. Out of 19 preselected skulls, 14 revealed a significant probability for a Herero/Nama ancestry, although identification of specific skulls according to the historical documentation was not possible.

Art · Biology · DECIPHER · Documentation · Evolutionary biology · Genealogy · Genetic genealogy · Geography · Identification (biology) · Identity (music) · Population · Provenance · Sociology · Anthropology · Computer Science · Demography · Ecology · Forensic and Genetic Research · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Genetics · History · Paleontology · Race, Genetics, and Society

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