Human Remains : Curation, Reburial and Repatriation

A practical and informative guide to caring for human remains in museums. Discusses key legal and ethical issues, how attitudes towards repatriation and reburial of remains have changed, and broader challenges inherent in holding human remains with global origins. Essential reading for advanced students in biological anthropology and bioarcheology.

Working with human remains raises a whole host of ethical issues, from how the remains are used to how and where they are stored. Over recent years, attitudes towards repatriation and reburial have changed considerably and there are now laws in many countries to facilitate or compel the return of remains to claimant communities. Such changes have also brought about new ways of working with and caring for human remains, while enabling their ongoing use in research projects. This has often meant a reevaluation of working practices for both the curation of remains and in providing access to them. This volume will look at the issues and difficulties inherent in holding human remains with global origins, and how diverse institutions and countries have tackled these issues. Essential reading for advanced students in biological anthropology, museum studies, archaeology and anthropology, as well as museum curators, researchers and other professionals.