Any comments from curators at the Smithsonian or from U. Penn's archaeology
museum? I'm sure this issue is not as cut-and-dried (bad metaphor) as Mr.
Prouty suggests.
 
Wendy Botting
Asst. Curator, College of Architecture, Art & Planning
Cornell University
********************************************************
 
In message Wed, 17 Aug 1994 07:40:40 -0700,
  Guy Prouty <[log in to unmask]>  writes:
 
> Even though this response does not directly answer your question,  I
> would like to address an important and sensitive issue: displaying human
> remains.  As an archaeologist here is Oregon, we are required by law and
> by Native American requests to treat all burials that we encounter with
> care and respect.  In no way would we put on display any burials in our
> museums, whether Native American, Egyptian, Peruvian, Chinese, or anybody
> else.  Doing so is not only disrespectful but unethical in most minds of
> archaeologists and museum specialists here in the USA.  How is this issue
> viewed in Australia?  Has there been any serious discussion about this?  I
> believe that one country displaying human remains and another unwilling
> to do so is a double standard and not good for the anthropology field as a
> whole.  I appreciate your comments.  Thank you very much, Guy Prouty,
> Oregon State Museum of Anthropology.
>
> On Wed, 17 Aug 1994, Geoff Holden wrote:
>
>
>>  We are contemplating a display for 1996 which will hopefully include
>>  some  mummies (Egyptian, Peruvian and possibly Chinese). The exhibition
>>  area  concerned has air conditioning which could only be described as
>>  medium  quality - and it would cost much too much to upgrade it to a
>>  highest  quality level. Sooooo - we are wondering if it is practical to
>>  put the  mummies in a very large display case which IS properly
>>  controlled. But I  wonder if there is a possibility of misting on the
>>  glass, either on the  outside surface or the inside. Would double
>> glazing help?
>>   Has anyone any experience in this area? We would welcome comments,
>>   experiences and even "but surely you realize that"s.
>>
>>   Geoff Holden
>>   Curator of Communications and some very odd projects indeed
>>   Scienceworks
>>   Museum of Victoria
>>   Australia
>>
>>
>