Repository Reflections: Where’s the Humanity?

Summary

As the neutral repository appointed by the court, the Burke Museum has played a unique and often frustrating role as temporary caretaker of the Ancient One/Kennewick Man. Decisions on overall curation, research and access resided with the US Army Corps of Engineers, yet the Burke provided the environment, security, and safety. Museum standards of access and care are not straightforward, and staff tried to balance ideas of neutrality and bioethics with real people and their needs. The Ancient One lived thousands of years in the past, yet he is now deeply rooted in the present. His journey has highlighted some key bioethical issues of our time – in particular, how we understand what constitutes a human being, and how that understanding shapes the tracking of research and analysis.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21656