House of Skulls with Marc Fennell

By: Marc Fennell

Narrated by: Marc Fennell

This series contains discussion of human remains. Listener discretion is advised.

In the basement of one of the world's most prestigious universities, there was a classroom lined with a collection of human skulls from around the globe. Join award-winning journalist Marc Fennell (It Burns, Nut Jobs, Stuff the British Stole) as he takes you on a captivating global journey through the mysterious Morton Cranial Collection. You will encounter an Australian cannibal, explore the depths of ancient Egyptian looted tombs, and piece together the story behind one of America's most tragic acts of police violence. This is the story of racism in America and the world told as you’ve never heard it before. And it’s all waiting right inside the House of Skulls.

Hosted And Co-Produced by Marc Fennell

Produced by Sony Music Entertainment

House of Skulls is an Audible Original

©2023 Audible Australia Pty Ltd (P)2024 Audible Australia Pty Ltd

Totally fascinating true story

This podcast shows how supremely talented Marc Fennel is as a journalist, researcher, writer, and storyteller. He has an engaging style, fairly balanced perspective, and well-organized writing. This riveting true story really rivals Jon Ronson's work in its fascinating search for truth and social justice. This complex story involves human remains, ethics in science, and racism through history. There are some disturbing parts, but it was uplifting as well. I had been unaware that a city had bombed some of its own people in 1983! And this city is not on some other continent. I am glad that I learned all of this.

Riveting Podcast!

Very original story that's well-researched, well-reported, and very well-told. The host Marc Fennell is fantastic. Beautifully composed music. I listened twice because I didn't want to lose a single detail.

Another fascinating piece by Marc

Marc is one of the best investigative journalist of our generation. Yet another fascinating podcast from him. Well worth a listen.

outstanding as always

marc does such a great job narrating and bringing unique and important topics to the public

Poignant history told by the best

Marc Fennell is the best! Could listen to him all day long.
I love all his podcasts and this one was so very interesting and eye opening.
As stated numerous times by the interviewees, this was a part of American science history that I never knew about. It was hard to listen to some of the clips but it’s important, and was so worth it to hear a side of history that has been hidden in plain sight for so long.
I love that Marc and his team were able to procure such amazing interviews and that he ended the story on a good note, coming full circle in a way.
Highly recommend if you’re into social and scientific histories.

Fascinating, thought-provoking, & heartbreaking

This serial comes together beautifully, merging cultural & scientific ideas from the past with those from the present. It also shines a light on the curiosity we should have when we encounter items from the past. The production & writing are wonderful, & Marc Fennell is an excellent narrator. Highly recommend!

Mark Fennell is one of the best story tellers and podcasters of our time

The House of Skulls offers audiences a comprehensive understanding of The University of Pennsylvania‘s house of skulls. A wide, and sometimes unusually connected, breadth of history is used to tell this story. One of the best podcasts I’ve ever listened to!

Another great story from Fennell

The first 2/3s of the listen is an interesting history of UPenn’s Morton Collection of skulls from around the world, most part of BIPOC communities and all completely unwilling members of this collection.

However, once Fennell changes gears, the story becomes not just interesting but moving. The last chapter reduced me to tears.

Congrats to Mark Fennell for reminding his listeners of everyone’s humanity.

Very biased and incendiary

Could have been a fascinating and balanced examination of millennia of medical science, its history, its evolution, mistakes, learnings and course corrections, culminating in a greater understanding. Instead it is a culturally biased takedown of science, esteemed institutions of higher learning, and of local government and law enforcement, which borders on conspiracy theory that all these elements conspire over centuries to perpetuate a subhuman, slave and racist ideology. It is so blinded by the injustices of centuries past that it loses credibility