Overview

• Oxford academics used a chalice made from a human skull at Worcester College formal dinners until 2015, later archiving it in 2019 due to mounting ethical concerns.
• The skull-cup, adorned with a silver rim and stand, was crafted in 1838 and used to serve wine and chocolates during rituals.
• Carbon dating suggests the skull is about 225 years old and likely belonged to an enslaved woman from the Caribbean, though her identity remains unknown.
• The chalice’s provenance traces back to colonial-era collectors, including Augustus Pitt Rivers and George Pitt-Rivers, who donated it to Worcester College in 1946.
• Dan Hicks’s forthcoming book, Every Monument Will Fall, has reignited debates over colonial violence, institutional accountability, and reparations for historical injustices.