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Ethical treatment of human remains?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by somewhatsilly (U14315357) on Sunday, 6th February 2011

  I see that the treatment of excavated human remains is a matter of some controversy in England and Wales,
  
  
  a situation which is at variance with that here in Scotland
  
  
  A related topic is attitudes to the display of human remains
  
  
  These topics seem to me to have important implications for the development of the discipline. As someone with an interest in archaeology and without a religious belief, I have very serious difficulties with the English legislation and also the increasing reluctance to display the remains so I would be interested to hear other people's views and, particularly, an exposition of those which do not accord with mine. I'm aware of how contentious these issues are in the USA and perhaps those of you who are familiar with practices in other countries might tell us what the situation is there.
  
  
  

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Caro (U1691443) on Sunday, 6th February 2011

  Hi ferval,
  
  The site didn't say clearly why the policy change, but I presume it is for basically religious sensibilities which I also don't share. I suppose also a feeling that people shoud have their privacy honoured in these matters and their wishes (of the time).
  
  I haven't noticed a similar approach in NZ, though I am not up with modern archaeological concerns. There was a fuss about changes to access to births and deaths etc but the records are available if they are not too recent. I think if a burial site of Maori is uncovered it is given a tapu ceremony and there would be a lot of liaison between Maori and archaelogical people before anything could be studied. If it can be.
  
  I was surprised when we were in an Australian Police Museum to see signs warning people there were images of dead people. That is to do with aboriginal sensitivities, but I haven't noticed that Maori mind this. My part-Maori daughter-in-law wasn't surprised though and wouldn't specially want to go where there were any mummies or the like. She would wash her hands if she had been in a place where there were bodily remains. (She and my son think I have a ghoulish interest in death, crime, suicide, etc. When I tell them i want to find a particular book about cricketer suicides they find this very funny and typical.)
  
  Cheers, Caro. (I haven't access to any books at the moment that would tell me more about this, from an historical perspective.)
  
  

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by TwinProbe (U4077936) on Sunday, 6th February 2011

  Hi ferval
  
  You might want to review this fairly short thread:
  
  
  
  Best wishes,
  
  TP

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by somewhatsilly (U14315357) on Sunday, 6th February 2011

  Thanks, TP, I must have missed that one however I'm more concerned with the reburial after 2 years issue which would seem to imply even isolated teeth or bone fragments from any period are included as well as obvious ambiguities as to what hominids are actually included.
  I'm not familiar with the actual legislation in England but if the folk that have signed that letter referred to are worried, then there seems to me to be cause for concern.
  
  ferval

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