Liv Nilsson Stutz e.a. write:
Much of the discussion surrounding human remains in museum collections has been dominated by post-colonial discourse about repatriation, reburial and what constitutes respectful treatment, given a socio-political history of exploitative, unequal Eurocentric traditions of research.
This is, in many ways, a response to the terms of debate that have evolved in North American, African and Australian anthropology, where Western/Indigenous relationships and history are central to modern understandings.
These are undoubtedly important issues for European museums, too, but are they enough?
Through a focus on the museum as an institution of care, and on ethical responsibility to past persons, we can compare archaeological and museum practice with ethical norms in related fields such as medical and social science research, which in turn may enrich our practices.
