Old Bones in New Databases: Historical Insights Into Race, Statistics, and Ancestry Estimation in Anthropology

Abstract

This article explores the persistence of race in biological anthropology, particularly in the context of ancestry estimation using the Fordisc software. Despite efforts to move away from race-based typologies since the mid-20th century, historical notions of race continue to shape scientific methods and technologies in anthropology. By tracing the “data journey” of a skeletal collection within Fordisc's database, we reveal how early 20th-century race science shaped statistical methods used in contemporary anthropology and how typological notions of race persist today. Our interdisciplinary approach, combining history of science and science and technology studies, highlights the need to historicize and critically examine the methods and technologies that underpin anthropological practices. This analysis demonstrates that issues of race in science are deeply rooted in the material practices of data collection, analysis, and statistical methods. Recognizing and dismantling these legacies is central to creating more ethical scientific practices. We argue that addressing the trouble with race in anthropology requires a comprehensive reevaluation of scientific practices, its methods and technologies, and would benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration within anthropology and beyond.