Descartes's Skull

René Descartes (1596–1650), the French philosopher and mathematician, died in Stockholm in 1650 and was initially interred in Sweden. In 1666, his remains were returned to France, but during the transfer his skull was separated from the rest of the skeleton. Over the following century, the skull passed through several private collections across Europe, accumulating ownership inscriptions scratched into the bone surface by successive custodians. It was eventually acquired by the French scientific community and is now held by the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, where it is preserved as a specimen of historical interest.

Descartes's body is buried in the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.