Even wonder about the stories behind human remains in museum displays? In this talk, you’ll get the chance to follow a group of researchers as they try to answer this exact question—starting with a diorama displayed at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in the United States. Title: A Violent Display: Tracing the Origins of an Unidentified Man in a Museum Speaker: Prof. Chris Stantis (Southern Illinois University Carbondale) Date: 15th Oct, 2026 (Thursday) Time: 16:30 - 18:00 Location: RM111, Cheng Yu Tong Building, Chinese University of Hong Kong Abstract: Natural history museums serve as microcosms of environments and natural diversity, but are they also microcosms of wider systemic injustice? In July 2020, the diorama titled Lion Attacking Dromedary was removed from public view at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in the United States. This tableau depicting a North African courier on a dromedary struggling for his life surrounded by lions contains not only taxidermied animals but a human skull. The taxidermy studio was known for their dedication to ecological ‘authenticity’, with the lions and camel both from North Africa. But what is the story of the man who was seemingly stolen from his burial place to become part of this museum display? Working to ‘flesh in’ the man in Carnegie's diorama, synthesizing archival research and chemistry (stable isotopes) to provide clues to his origin and identity. This study presents stable isotope analyses of his teeth. We may never know exactly where he was stolen from, but the isotopic evidence provides clues that may inform future quests for returning him home.