On Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 2:46 PM, Richard Fields <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I am against the display of human remains, but I do think it is relevant to
> the list. Sanity sake or not, it is a message that is not getting through.
> In Utah there was just a prosecution over the looting of Native American
> artifacts and graves. About a year ago, there was one in Oregon also. How
> can we discourage the looting of Native American sites if we prodly show off
> the human remains we looted from other countires in the name of Education?

Why are you applying Native American culture to ancient Egypt? Why
should Native Americans be influencing the display of another
culture's artifacts? As someone else mentioned, respect for the dead
varies greatly from culture to culture and even person to person. The
Manchester Museum blog had an interesting point as well - the dead do
not have rights.

So while I think that after you have died, your remains are on the
same level as meat, I respect other cultures that do not want the
remains of their people displayed. I also do not have the right to
tell someone else what to do with their legally acquired artifacts,
including human remains. One culture celebrates their dead and puts
them on display. They have every right to do so. Another culture does
not want its dead disturbed. That's fine as well and those remains
should not be put on display.

The Egyptian people have openly displayed mummies and other funerary
artifacts as well as lent such artifacts to museums around the world
for display. Clearly they are okay with their ancient ancestors being
on display. Why should anyone else impose their views on a museum and
say they can't display a mummy, sarcophagus, or other funerary item?
King Tut has been seen by millions of people around the world but
museum in Oklahoma can't display their mummy?

As for looting, using that argument, nothing archaeological should be
displayed because it encourages looting. Treasure hunters are going to
loot graves regardless of human remains on display. Looting is
looting, grave sites or other. I'm sure the Native Americans wouldn't
want people to loot any of their non-grave sites either.

Deb Fuller

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