Human Remains Guide for Museums and Academic Institutions

by Cassman, Vicki; Odegaard, Nancy; Powell, Joseph; Alfonso, Marta; Arriaza, Bernardo; Brooks, Mary; Cash, Phillip Cash; Drew, Natalie; Eklund, Julie; Gustafsson, Monica; Fagan, Brian; Hutt, Sherry; Militello, Teresa; Morris, Alan; Peters, Ann; Pfister, Luz-

• ISBN13: 9780759109551
• ISBN10: 0759109559
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-08-14
• Publisher: AltaMira Press

Summary

This edited volume contains valuable information for museums and academic institutions concerning the care and conservation of human remains. The editors provide all the essential information required concerning the curation of human remains, from oft posed ethical questions to storage and transport issues. Jam-packed with references, this collection is up to date and is a must have resource. This volume should be required reading for institutions with osteology collections, as well as scholars and students. With a foreword by Brian Fagan.

Table of Contents

List of Inserts	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Foreword	p. xv
Introduction: Dealing with the Dead	p. 1
Ethics of Flesh and Bone, or Ethics in the Practice of Paleopathology, Osteology, and Bioarchaeology	p. 5
Insert: American Association of Museums Position Statement	p. 12
Policy	p. 21
Inserts
Example Mission Statement for a University Collection	p. 24
Websites of Interest with Sample Policies	p. 27
Condition Assessment of Osteological Collections	p. 29
Inserts
Access and Documentation of Collections in Law Enforcement Agencies: A Case Study	p. 35
Condition Glossary	p. 37
Common Vocabulary for Addressing Body Position or Orientation	p. 42
Examination and Analysis	p. 49
Inserts
Beanbags for Support and Cushioning	p. 53
Temporary Markers for Indicating Bone Landmarks during Metric Analyses	p. 62
General Considerations in Casting	p. 64
Instrumental Analysis	p. 70
Arizona State Museum Destructive Testing Policy	p. 74
Treatment and Invasive Actions	p. 77
Inserts
Mexicans Clean Bones to Honor the Dead	p. 81
The Impact of Preservation Treatments on DNA	p. 92
Indigenous Value Orientations in the Care of Human Remains	p. 97
Insert: The Vermillion Accord on Human Remains	p. 101
Storage and Transport	p. 103
Inserts
The Osteology Box	p. 110
Labeling Procedures from the Arizona State Museum	p. 114
Materials Used for Storage Supports	p. 115
Steps for an Insect Monitoring Program	p. 118
Moving the Kennewick Man	p. 120
Rehousing the Kennewick Remains	p. 122
Packing Royalty	p. 123
Associated Artifacts	p. 129
Inserts
Conservation Conversation I: Great Find-Now What?	p. 134
Conservation Conversation II: Curation Crisis	p. 142
Conservation Conversation III: Once a Frozen Mummy, Always a Frozen Mummy	p. 145
Associated Funerary Objects: Religious Votives	p. 147
Documentation: History and the Sources of Skeletons in Collections	p. 151
Inserts
A Case Study: Colonialism and the Return of Sarah Baartman	p. 153
Linnaeus and the Origins of Typology	p. 154
Documentation Systems in Human Osteology	p. 157
Bones Version 1.0 Software	p. 159
Associated Records: The Kennewick Project	p. 163
Multidisciplinary Research Teams	p. 175
Fieldwork	p. 183
Inserts
Tell Hesi Biblical Site	p. 185
Rescuing Mummies from Urban Centers in the Atacama Desert	p. 190
Cremations	p. 192
Working with the Dead: Health Concerns	p. 205
Insert: Personal Protective Equipment Guidelines	p. 216
The Law of Human Remains and Burials	p. 223
Respect for the Dead, Respect for the Living	p. 245
Inserts
Guidelines for Treatment of Remains of Indian People in Archaeological Sites	p. 247
Spirit Cave Man: A Body of Contention	p. 256
The Body in the Museum	p. 261
Inserts
Caring for an Egyptian Mummy and Coffin	p. 269
Views on Displaying Human Remains	p. 283
Afterword	p. 291
Beanbag Pattern for Skull	p. 293
Index	p. 295
About the Editors and Contributors	p. 305
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