I am the skull of a person who lived in 17th-century Jamestown, Virginia!

You can see skulls like me on view as part of the Written in Bone exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History. This exhibition examines history through 17th-century bone biographies, including those of colonists struggling to survive at Jamestown, Virginia, and those living in the wealthy and well-established settlement of St. Mary’s City, Maryland. Click here to learn more!

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More than 137 million objects have been entrusted into the Smithsonian's care. Our curators are experts in the conservation and study of artifacts that preserve our historical record.

But the Smithsonian cannot preserve these often fragile objects and the stories they tell for future generations without your help. We rely on donations from people like you to enable the Institution to:

** purchase conservation materials and supplies,

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** properly store objects when they are not on view; and

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