"Motivations for collecting human skeletal material range from the practical (in anthropology, medicine, forensics) to the ritualistic (phrenology, in the relics of martyrs and saints). This book is an examination of those motivations and the collections they have brought about - catacombs, ossuaries, mass graves, prehistoric excavations, and institutional and private collections.". "The book contains sections on procuring, handling storing, transporting, cleaning, and identifying skeletal remains. The repatriation of remains and legislation covering the topic are also addressed."--BOOK JACKET.