21st February 2009, 05:11 PM
My thoughts on the matter are (in no particular order)
- human remains should always be treated with dignity and respect.
- the excavation and treatment of human remains is one of the most complex and emotive issues which we as archaeologists face.
- archaeological remains, including human remains, are finite and irreplaceable.
- the disturbance of human remains is often unavoidable.
- where remains of people of known identity are found then the wishes of their direct living family members regarding retention or reburial should be sought. However many (most?) archaeologically excavated human remains are of long-dead persons who's identity is unknown and/or their religious/spiritual beliefs are unknowable.
- as archaeologist dealing with human remains we need to be answerable to any decisions we make and as such should always ensure that our decisions are informed and follow current best practice - if we rebury scientifically important remains now how will future archaeologists look back at us?
- human remains can be a valuable educational tool, as such their display in a museum is acceptable provided their is a genuine educational benefit.
- as well as being educational human remains are a valuable source of important scientific information about past peoples, their lifestyle, diet, genetic links, burial practice (and can sometimes provide information on their beliefs and attitudes?).
- some human remains are of greater scientific value than others, however most remains have a significant and valuable scientific worth.
- indiscriminate reburial of remains after excavation means that an important (and finite) information resource is lost. As such human remains should be carefully and appropriately curated to ensure their physical survival and the survival of important scientific data.
- reburial of human remains unless carefully controlled generally leads to the deterioration (often rapid deterioration) of bones and/or the genetic information they contain. Reburial in controlled conditions with the option to easily re-examine them is difficult to achieve and is often ineffective.
My personal opinion is that following archaeological excavation human remains form part of the archaeological record. They should therefore be appropriately curated - this will generally be in a suitable museum or archaeological store. Reburial should only occur in circumstances when there is an overwhelming need. In this instance I personally do not feel that CoBDO have demonstrated there is an overwhelming need for reburial.
[As an aside (and potentially equally contentious issue) I was recently involved in a discussion regarding the preservation in situ of burials. As bones naturally and gradually (sometimes rapidly and often unpredictably) degrade if left in the ground should we be preserving burials in-situ? Is this preservation in situ meaningful if in 100 years time there is significantly less information (including genetic information) surviving within the bone than there is now?]
- human remains should always be treated with dignity and respect.
- the excavation and treatment of human remains is one of the most complex and emotive issues which we as archaeologists face.
- archaeological remains, including human remains, are finite and irreplaceable.
- the disturbance of human remains is often unavoidable.
- where remains of people of known identity are found then the wishes of their direct living family members regarding retention or reburial should be sought. However many (most?) archaeologically excavated human remains are of long-dead persons who's identity is unknown and/or their religious/spiritual beliefs are unknowable.
- as archaeologist dealing with human remains we need to be answerable to any decisions we make and as such should always ensure that our decisions are informed and follow current best practice - if we rebury scientifically important remains now how will future archaeologists look back at us?
- human remains can be a valuable educational tool, as such their display in a museum is acceptable provided their is a genuine educational benefit.
- as well as being educational human remains are a valuable source of important scientific information about past peoples, their lifestyle, diet, genetic links, burial practice (and can sometimes provide information on their beliefs and attitudes?).
- some human remains are of greater scientific value than others, however most remains have a significant and valuable scientific worth.
- indiscriminate reburial of remains after excavation means that an important (and finite) information resource is lost. As such human remains should be carefully and appropriately curated to ensure their physical survival and the survival of important scientific data.
- reburial of human remains unless carefully controlled generally leads to the deterioration (often rapid deterioration) of bones and/or the genetic information they contain. Reburial in controlled conditions with the option to easily re-examine them is difficult to achieve and is often ineffective.
My personal opinion is that following archaeological excavation human remains form part of the archaeological record. They should therefore be appropriately curated - this will generally be in a suitable museum or archaeological store. Reburial should only occur in circumstances when there is an overwhelming need. In this instance I personally do not feel that CoBDO have demonstrated there is an overwhelming need for reburial.
[As an aside (and potentially equally contentious issue) I was recently involved in a discussion regarding the preservation in situ of burials. As bones naturally and gradually (sometimes rapidly and often unpredictably) degrade if left in the ground should we be preserving burials in-situ? Is this preservation in situ meaningful if in 100 years time there is significantly less information (including genetic information) surviving within the bone than there is now?]