Becoming Object - by Pamela L Geller (Paperback)

About the Book

This book considers the vast collection of skulls amassed by Samuel Morton in the first half of the nineteenth century, using a biohistoric approach to take a close look at the times in which Morton lived, his work, and its complicated legacy.

Book Synopsis

This book considers the vast collection of skulls amassed by Samuel Morton in the first half of the nineteenth century, using a biohistoric approach to take a close look at the times in which Morton lived, his work, and its complicated legacy.

Review Quotes

"This is a text like no other in bioarchaeology, skeletal biology, and historical archaeology. . . . To describe this book as rich and theoretically sophisticated would be an understatement. . . . Becoming Object is not only an achievement in the biohistory of a single cranial collection, it is a textured portrait of 19th-century American violence and even brutality. This history should remain on the tips of our tongues when we speak of the birth of anthropology in the United States."--Historical Archaeology

"Having extensively researched the largest collection of human skulls held by Dr. Samuel Morton in Philadelphia, Geller seeks to understand Morton as a scientist of his time, addressing the then pressing question of human monogenesis or polygenesis. . . . Geller's own research, firmly grounded in data and contextualized by her experiences, makes for good reading."--Choice