Should we display the dead

2019

For several decades, human remains have been at the centre of a heated debate that focuses upon whether or not it is ethical to disturb, retain, study and display the dead. Despite such a lengthy period of discussion, it has not been possible to give a definitive answer to that question. Whilst some people believe the dead should simply remain undisturbed, others believe that the scientific value of human remains is paramount, and there is a wide range of viewpoints in-between. The issue of dealing with human remains in archaeology and in museums is a complex one, and it is clear that contextual information is crucial in making decisions regarding their fate. The aim of this chapter is to provide context as to the origins and continuation of an emotive issue that has spanned decades, with specific emphasis on museums in England, and to discuss whether concerns relating to the treatment of human remains in archaeology and in museums are in fact any closer to being resolved.

Front cover: Detail of a mummy of a Greek youth named Artemidorus in a cartonnage body-case, 2nd century ad. British Museum, London (EA 21810) Printed and bound in the UK by 4edge Ltd, Hockley Papers used in this book by The British Museum Press are of FSC Mixed Credit, elemental chlorine free (ECF) fibre sourced from well-managed forests All British Museum images illustrated in this book are © The Trustees of the British Museum Further information about the Museum and its collection can be found at britishmuseum.org Contents Preface v JD Hill Part One-Holding and Displaying Human Remains Part 1 Holding and Displaying Human Remains Curating human remains with care, respect and dignity Regardless of age, origin or state of preservation, human remains in the British Museum are treated with great care and full consideration of the ethics associated with their curation. One of the most pertinent sections of the British Museum Policy on Human Remains (Trustees of the British Museum 2013) states that, during handling, storage or display, human remains should always be treated with care, respect and dignity. Ethics surrounding the display, storage and care of human remains have been the subject of much discourse, both in the media and academic literature (e.g.

2018

For decades, the rights of museums to house, exhibit, and research human remains, in particular those from Indigenous peoples collected during colonial times, has been questioned in many parts of the world. This debate has also reached the German museum community. In 2013, the German Museums Association (Deutscher Museumsbund, DMB) published the “Recommendations for the Care of Human Remains in Museums and Collections”. At the end of that year, Larissa Förster and Sarah Fründt convened an interdisciplinary workshop to critically discuss these “recommendations”. The results were later published, together with additional statements by international stakeholders.

Curator: The Museum Journal, 2014

The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology has a policy of accepting all offered human remains into its collections. These remains come from law enforcement agencies and private persons. By accepting Native American and other human remains, the museum assumes all associated legal, ethical, and financial obligations, including complying with NAGPRA regulations and state laws regarding archaeological human remains. However, many museums are ill equipped to accept responsibility for-or have policies againstaccepting human remains. There are costs and benefits associated with accepting human remains and associated objects that each museum must consider. We explain the perspective of the Maxwell Museum in its continuing policy of accepting human remains and NAGPRA objects, and explore the consequences of that decision. We also present the results of a survey concerning museums' policies on and experiences with accepting new collections of human remains and artifacts.

Ethique & Santé, 2019

In this contribution, we would like to address the ethical issues concerning detention and exposition in museums of human remains. Italian literature on the subject is still very poor in contrast with other countries. We will present two emblematic examples of complex cases involving Italian museums, requiring ethical reflection. The first is the case of the Gorini Collection (Lodi) and the recent donation of the mummies of the ''Giuseppe Paravicini Col-lection'' belonged to incurable patients of the mental hospital of Mombello, near Milan. The second is the case of the mummified remains of the head of a Celano child in the anthropologi-cal section of Chieti's University Museum, also known as ''Celano child''. These cases highlight and examine the difficult and problematic issues of accessibility and providing safeguard for cultural heritage and also ethical order. Résumé Dans cette contribution, nous aimerions aborder les questions éthiques concernant la détention et l'exposition dans les musées de restes humains. La littérature italienne sur le sujet est encore très pauvre contrairement à d'autres pays. Nous présenterons deux exemples emblématiques de cas complexes impliquant des musées italiens, nécessitant une réflexion éthique. Le premier est le cas de la collection Gorini (Lodi) et le don récent des momies de * Corresponding author.

Human remains have been exhibited in non-medical contexts for as long as museums have been in existence - in fact, even before then, in the form of religious relics and other sacred objects. Yet ever since 2004, the way in which the general public has been permitted to view and interact with the remains of the deceased changed for the first time in many years in Britain. The modification resulted from the introduction of the Human Tissue Act, a set of regulations formulated by the Human Tissue Authority (hereafter HTA): a licensing body which emerged in 2005. The uses of human remains and tissues or, as they are defined by the HTA, ‘relevant materials’ were to be primarily regulated in a medical context; therefore public display is inconsistent with the rest of the governed usage. In this essay I will attempt to evaluate the complex reasons why medical usage or, as it is defined by the HTA, ‘scheduled purposes’ of human remains became intertwined with their display to the public and the effect it subsequently had on their exhibition. My intention is not to furnish the reader with an exhaustive history of the HTA’s formation, however it is important to outline much of it in order to contextualise this essay more broadly, and include a historiographical element to the analysis: interestingly the change in dynamics of display during the inauguration of the HTA echoed events which prompted the closure of Victorian public anatomy museums over 100 years earlier, which has been discussed by medical historians. The basis for this topic is essentially the result of my personal experience and career so it is somewhat subjective - therefore I will utilise both the Pathology Museum at Queen Mary University London and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery as my main case studies with regards to the HTA, and discuss the Victorian closures which preceded it. What factors caused these small groups of people to dictate new legislation on the exhibition of the bodies of the deceased, or representations thereof? How has this affected attempts to display human remains in new exhibitions or regenerate old collections? This paper seeks to answer the above questions and draw a conclusion about the effect of the Human Tissue Act (2004) on human remains in British museums.

The principal theme of this volume is the importance of the public use of human remains in a historical perspective. The book presents a series of case studies aimed at offering historiographical and methodological reflections and providing interpretative approaches highlighting how, through the ages and with a succession of complex practices and uses, human remains have been imbued with a plurality of meanings. Covering a period running from late antiquity to the present day, the contributions are the combined results of multidisciplinary research pertaining to the realities of the Italian peninsula, hitherto not investigated with a long-term and multidisciplinary historical perspective. From the relics of great men to the remains of patriots, and from anatomical specimens to the skeletons of the saints: through these case studies the scholars involved have investigated a wide range of human remains (real or reputed) and of meanings attributed to them, in order to decipher their function over the centuries. In doing so, they have traversed the interpretative boundaries of political history, religious history and the history of science, as required by questions aimed at integrating the anthropological, social and cultural aspects of a complex subject.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1989

Recent years have witnessed a surge of scientific interest in the biocultural analysis of mortuary sites and human remains. Concurrently, members of the American Indian community and others have questioned the merit of scientific study and argued for reburial of Indian human remains and associated artifacts. Strong differences of opinion have led to varied responses among museums, professional organizations, federal and state organizations, and individuals. This article addresses the scientific, ethical, religious, political, and legal issues raised by this debate.