Edinburgh University's Skull Room: Unpacking Its Troubled Past with Phrenology
Edinburgh Uni's skull room reveals phrenology past

Edinburgh University's so-called 'Skull Room' has become a focal point in discussions about the institution's complex relationship with phrenology, the discredited pseudoscience that once sought to link skull shape to intelligence and character.

The collection, housed within the university's anatomy department, contains hundreds of human skulls amassed during the 19th century, many acquired under ethically questionable circumstances during Britain's colonial era.

A Controversial Legacy

Phrenology gained popularity in the early 1800s, with Edinburgh becoming a significant hub for its study. The university's prominent academics, including some of its most celebrated figures, actively participated in this field, which later became associated with racist ideologies and scientific racism.

Today, the skull collection presents the university with difficult questions about how to reconcile its prestigious history with these troubling aspects of its past.

Modern Reckoning

The university has recently begun confronting this legacy more openly. 'We can't change history, but we can change how we engage with it,' said Professor Alison Douglas, head of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology.

New interpretive displays now contextualise the collection, explaining both the scientific errors of phrenology and its role in justifying colonial oppression. The university has also initiated discussions about potential repatriation of remains to their countries of origin.

Academic Responsibility

This reappraisal forms part of a wider movement within academia to address historical injustices. Other UK universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, have undertaken similar reviews of their collections and institutional histories.

'These conversations are uncomfortable but necessary,' Douglas added. 'As educators, we have a responsibility to examine our past honestly if we want to build a more equitable future.'