logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
32m 14s

Skeletons In The Closet

NPR
About this episode
In a small suburb of Washington, D.C., a non-descript beige building houses thousands of Native human remains. The remains are currently in the possession of the Smithsonian Institution. But for the past decade, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has been fighting to get some of them back to Florida to be buried. The controversy over who should decide the fate of these remains has raised questions about identity, history, and the nature of archaeology.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Jun 2
DACA recipients are trapped in Trump's limbo
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has been around for almost 14 years — long enough that the so-called "DACA kids" are now middle-aged adults with jobs, mortgages and families. But the Trump administration is making it harder to hold onto the only legal status th ... Show More
34m 15s
May 30
The trans athlete debate is about a lot more than sports
The Supreme Court is about to rule on whether states can ban transfeminine student athletes from playing on girls' and women's teams. But we're talking to journalist Imara Jones about why these cases aren't just about school sports. They come out of a massive wave of state-level ... Show More
31m 33s
May 27
It's giving incel: The evolution of internet slang
How have recommendation algorithms affected language? Linguist Adam Aleksic — aka the Etymology Nerd — says most “Gen-Z slang” is either appropriated from Black people or incels. This week, we trace how -maxxing went from the eugenicist looksmaxxing subculture to trending TikToks ... Show More
24m 5s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
Descendants of Cahokia
How did people create Cahokia, an ancient American Indian metropolis near present-day St. Louis? And why did they abandon it? Archaeologists are piecing together the answers—but Cahokia’s story isn’t finished yet. Hear how an Osage anthropologist is protecting the remaining buria ... Show More
29m 37s
Oct 2022
Spooked at the Smithsonian
<p>The Smithsonian Institution was founded on principles of reason and scientific inquiry. So why is the museum home to countless tales of unexplained phenomena and —dare we say — ghost sightings? Inspired by an apparition at the National Museum of American History, we creak acro ... Show More
37m 20s
Mar 2021
Introducing 'Tulsa's Buried Truth'
<p>There's a secret that's been buried under a century of silence. It lies in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a once-unknown massacre took place on American soil.</p> <p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href= "https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a></p> 
2m 47s
Oct 2023
Resurrected: Spooked at the Smithsonian
<p>The Smithsonian Institution was founded on principles of reason and scientific inquiry. So why is the Smithsonian home to countless tales of unexplained phenomena and—dare we say—ghost sightings? Inspired by an apparition at the National Museum of American History, we creak ac ... Show More
37m 54s
Jan 2023
Unearthed! Year-end 2022, Part 1
tail spinning
41m 49s
Jan 2023
Unearthed! Year-end 2022, Part 2
<p>Part two of our Unearthed! wrap up of 2022 covers a potpourri of stuff that didn’t go together, books and letters, edibles and potables, and apparel, including more than one pair of blue jeans.</p> <p><strong>Research:</strong></p> <ul> <li>“Chemical clues to the mystery of wh ... Show More
38m 52s
Nov 2022
Unearthed! Autumn 2022, Part 2
<p>The second part of our autumn list of things that were unearthed in the recent past includes potpourri, repatriations, shipwrecks, medical finds, Viking items, and books and letters.</p> <p><strong>Research: </strong></p> <ul> <li>Abbott, Dennis. “Archaeologists unearth skelet ... Show More
41m 18s
Oct 2023
Unearthed! in Autumn 2023, Part 1
<p>In part one of our Autumn 2023 edition of Unearthed!, we have some oldest things, books and letters, projects specifically related to gender, edibles and potables, and animals. </p> <p><strong>Research: </strong></p> <ul> <li>“Early humans deliberately made mysterious stone 's ... Show More
40m 58s
Apr 2023
Unearthed! in Spring 2023, Part 2
<p>To wrap up Unearthed! for spring 2023, we've got potpourri, jewelry and adornments, edibles and potables, mistaken identity stories, repatriations, and the always popular shipwrecks.</p> <p>Research:</p> <ul> <li>Agence France-Presse. “New Easter Island moai statue discovered ... Show More
42m 13s