Curating the Past: The Practice and Ethics of Skeletal Conservation
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)
The human skeletal remains curated within archaeological and museum collections belong to those who created the cultures that we seek to understand as archaeologists. Human and faunal remains recovered from archaeological excavations provide a wealth of information about past cultures, but also require the greatest care. The recovery, cleaning, and curation of bone often present one of the great challenges for archaeological projects as a bioarchaeologist or zooarchaeologist may not be on site. What is the best way to transport fragile materials to labs or to export them? How should they be stored until they can be analyzed, or over the long term? Should they be cleaned? Field labs, museums, and universities in remote locations are often only periodically monitored, can have extreme humidity or heat, be infested by insects or animals, lack financial support for collection maintenance, and/or be at risk due to natural disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes. This session describes techniques that osteologists have employed to address these problems as they have worked to curate and house skeletal collections from prehistory through the contemporary era in Europe, Asia, and the Americas in light of ethical and cultural considerations of modern populations.
Other Keywords
bioarchaeology •
Conservation •
Maya •
Osteology •
Curation •
CRM •
Mummies •
Greece •
Peru •
Southeast Asia
Geographic Keywords
Republic of El Salvador (Country) •
Belize (Country) •
Republic of Guatemala (Country) •
North America (Continent) •
Mesoamerica •
United Mexican States (Country) •
Republic of Honduras (Country) •
Jamaica (Country) •
Republic of Nicaragua (Country) •
Republic of Panama (Country)
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-10 of 10)
- Documents (10)
-
Bioarchaeological Conservation and Ethics in Mainland Southeast Asia (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This paper identifies the ethical and conservation challenges of working with skeletal remains from mainland Southeast Asia, a region including Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. Due to the increasing political rest experienced over the past decades, researchers have had better opportunities to work in these countries, with relatively easier access to appropriate permissions to excavate archaeological sites. The first-hand accounts of bioarchaeological research conducted by the...
-
The Challenges of Bioarchaeological Research in Peru: Archaeological Field-School Project "Pachacamac Valley" (1991-) (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
The archeological study of human burials presents many special challenges. Deterioration begins or accelerates with the exposure to new environmental conditions after recovery. In many cases, the context has to be analyzed in situ by bioanthropologists to record information before the removal of the materials to the laboratory and storage area. Continuous participation of bioarchaeologists is also vital for subsequent analysis of the funerary context many months or years after the end of the...
-
The Challenges of Dealing with Multiple Sets of Human Remains in the Cultural Resource Management Setting where Tribal Resources are Limited (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to excavate a couple of large sites in California, working on behalf of a developer to keep their project in compliance with their permit. In conjunction, I also worked with the local tribe to resolve their burial issues with each excavation. During these two excavations, I have had to opportunity to observe the challenges that the tribe encountered when dealing with fast-paced cultural resource management (CRM) projects where burial retrieval...
-
Conservation Recommendations for Human Skeletal Remains Excavated from Desert Oases, Cave Shelters, and Permafrost, in China and Mongolia (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Tomb excavations have been documented in East Asia for over 100 years, however the focus has been on artifact collection. The systematic excavation and collection of human skeletal remains is new to this region. This study will outline three cases where there was a demonstrated need for the implementation of conservation techniques. The first case included several naturally mummified skulls from Xinjiang, Province, China. A graduate student had decided to wash the skulls to remove skin and hair....
-
Curating Large Skeletal Collections: An Example from the Ancient Maya Site of Copan, Honduras (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Bioarchaeologists draw data from the detailed study of human remains from archaeological contexts. The information embedded in the skeleton provides a powerful window into prehistory; informing us of past lifeways, health/disease, diet, kinship, migration, and conflict. The intimate relationship between the living and the dead is necessarily imbued with respect and an ethical responsibility to properly handle and curate the remains of those that we study. However, the conservation of skeletal...
-
Curation in the Digital Age: The Potential for Bioarchaeology (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Digital imaging and curation are increasingly accessible to and implemented by bioarchaeologists working in both academic and CRM positions. In the field, 3D scanning and LiDAR technology record mortuary contexts quickly and in incredible detail. These techniques make poorly preserved remains available for study that may not survive excavation intact. In a lab setting, photogrammetry and construction of 3D models of skeletal elements shows promise for augmenting and preserving teaching...
-
Curation of Human Skeletal Remains and Bioarchaeological Practice in Greek Context (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Human skeletal remains constitute perhaps the most sensitive archaeological material, both biologically and socioculturally. Their recovery, preservation, curation, storage, and analysis are complex issues that need to be addressed within any given biocultural context. Given the country’s geography and the long history of human occupation, Greek field archaeology is intense and ongoing, as part of either rescue excavations or academic research projects. Graves, cemeteries, and human skeletal...
-
Field Conservation of Skeletal Remains: Techniques, Materials, and Implications for Future Analysis (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
The information potential of skeletal remains – as for any excavated material – is impacted by the conditions of archaeological burial, and the environments and actions encountered during subsequent excavation, laboratory processing, study, and storage. A conservation approach emphasizes the mitigation of threats to material stability and integrity, which for excavated collections are often most critical at the point of archaeological exposure and recovery. Techniques and materials in use by...
-
A Step-by-Step Guide to Excavating Burials, or how a Bioarchaeologist can be in Two (or Three) Places at Once (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Bioarchaeologists often are faced with the challenge of managing field excavations and lab analyses of skeletal remains at the same time, along with student and staff training and curation of osteological remains. I present results from recent fieldwork at the Classic Maya sites Actuncan and San Lorenzo, Belize that were excavated using a method designed for non-osteologists. This includes complex burial deposits that were re-entered, secondary burials, and comingled and disturbed remains that...
-
When Provenience is Lost: Achievements and Challenges in Conserving the Historical St. John’s, Belize Skeletal Collection (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Funding in small developing countries like Belize for archaeological research and post excavation curation remains one of our greatest challenges to preserving our tangible cultural heritage. The state of curation of human remains and artefact collections at St. John’s College in Belize City is a perfect example of what can go wrong when there is not established a properly funded and managed curation program both at the national level or the institutional level. This paper highlights the...