Human Remains In Museums..

sandyRoe | 10:08 Wed 29th Nov 2023 | History

19 Answers

For many years the star attraction in the Ulster Museum, for children at least, had been a mummy. When I was younger there was also a tattooed Maori head on display.

While the origins of the mummy are lost in the mists of time the Maori head could date from the 19th Century.

How old must remains be before they're considered suitable for public display?

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barry1010

Good question, I find it fascinating but distateful. I enjoyed looking at similar exhibits in the Birmingham Museum when I was a child, as did my own children.

I am going to be cremated as I don't want Tony Robinson and his ilk digging me up to satisfy their curiosity.

construct1245

I'm not sure. But it is odd putting remains in a museum instead of burying or cremating

barry1010

Construct, they were buried - and dug up or retrieved many years later.

construct1245

It's just strange digging them up for people's enjoyment

douglas9401

Maybe ask the question 'where's the line between grave robbing and archaeology?'

naomi24

I don't think there are any time restrictions.

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https://bodyworlds.com/about/faq/#:~:text=Each%20BODY%20WORLDS%20exhibition%20contains,of%20discovery%20under%20the%20skin.

barry1010

Gunther is a very strange man. I did watch some of his C4 series but the 'plastination' of the bodies made the autopsies unrealistic. They may as well have been dummies.

naomi24

Barry, My husband went to see that exhibition when it was in London. I decined the invitation but he said it was fascinating.

Old_Geezer

Folk seem too easily upset about such things. It's just a body after all, it's not like the owner is still in there.

One can understand thinking it disrespectful and upsetting if it was a person you knew when they were alive, but otherwise why refer to such an exhibition as enjoyment when it's clearly more about curiosity and education ?

I doubt there is a minimum time specified anywhere, but maybe there is. Anything hundreds of years old, or willingly donated by the original owner on their death, shouldn't cause too much reasonable objection. It's not that much different to leaving your body to medical science.

barry1010

Morbid things are fascinating, naomi, but I wouldn't have gone to the exhibition either.

barry1010

I am fascinated by the body farms that started in America to allow scientists to understand decomposition of bodies in different circumstances. It has proved to be very useful in establishing time of death and helped solve murders. Once again I watched the documentary but would not want to visit one

barry1010

OG, I may occasionally make an exhibit of myself in life (unintentionally) but I refuse to be an exhibit in death.

sandyRoe

Question Author

There's a great difference between offering your mortal remains for medical research, or even to be displayed in one of Dr Gunter's shows, and being displayed to titivate gawpers.

The Maori head, for example, could have been taken as a war trophy as late as the 1870s. I doubt if permission was sought before it was taken and displayed.