I was standing in a museum in Siena, Italy, staring into a silver and glass reliquary full of the neatly stored bones of Saint Clement set on a satin pillow, his finger bones tied together with lace. I was supposed to appreciate the saint's remains as a symbol of godliness, even pray to them. But as an anthropologist, I was having trouble with this sacred mission-all I wanted to do was open the case, make sure all 206 pieces were there, and maybe check for osteological pathology.
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