Czech Skull Hunters in Alaska

Dr. Mark A. Brandon’s article explores how Aleš Hrdlička’s racial worldview shaped his unethical treatment of Native Americans during his expeditions to Alaska (1926–1937).

Hrdlička, a highly respected anthropologist from a leading American scientific institution, saw human remains as mere material for research. His trips to Alaska had a disturbing goal: to excavate and steal Native American skeletons—sometimes secretly.

Fueled by his belief in racial classification based on physical traits, he justified his actions in the name of science. For Hrdlička, scientific progress excused everything, no matter the moral cost.

Read more in the Ostrava Journal (link below).