Why Are There Human Remains On Display At

How old do human remains have to be to become artifacts for a museum, and why?

I’m a conservator so its not my (t) issue , I would only be concerned that they are stable professionallyThere are usually guidelines on display, Richard 3 had a photo of his bones in the Richard 3 museum, Hong Kong History Museum where I have worked had a replica for a Neolithic burialWelcome medical Museum which I don’t know probably does have recent body bitsIt is not an issue morally to me , but I understand that some are concerned , people should be familiar with anatomy

Why are most human skeleton displays made from plaster and not from actual bones?

Because human bones are too expensive.While that might seem strange, given that everybody has a skeleton that they leave behind at the end of life; nonetheless, in the Western nations, human remains can be obtained only by body donation, which is relatively rare. And even in countries with ancient graveyards, where old bones come to the surface when new graves are dug; the bones that are surfaced are unusable for skeletal display because they are no longer articulated.The result is that genuine human skeletons are too expensive except for medical students. For skeletons to hang by the head in science labs, molding in plaster or plastic is far more cost-effective.

What do you think about bones or human remains in general being exhibited in museums? Do you think its insulting to the dead or not?

I saw the Body Worlds exhibit at a museum. On the one hand I felt privileged to be able to see the structures of the human body in such detail and accuracy. On the other hand I was troubled that there was no information upon how the bodies were acquired. Were they told it was for medical research, that it would be displayed publicly, that Body Worlds in some sense is a profit making entity, that if it were compensated did they go to poorer areas of the world, were they fully informed what was to happen to the bodies? I was troubled by those questions and don’t feel they gave the full information in the little information they offered to know if this was ethical or not.Sometimes as well I was bothered by the poses as unnecessary or perhaps trivializing and perhaps some that the patients would not consent to. I don’t imagine any female who would consent to have her body posed having sexual relationships with a complete stranger, for the use of her corpse. These things are troubling to me in issues of full disclosure and fully informed consent.

What happens to the human remains (bones) uncovered by archaeologists after their research is done?

In many cases, human remains have been cataloged and warehoused for future research or preservation.  In rare cases where a specimen might be of general interest, they may be placed on display, such as in a museum.However, in more recent times, many archaeologists will either re-inter the remains, or turn them over to an authority for reburial.  This is usually done without any of the grave goods found, mostly to prevent future looting.  I have seen some cases where the remains have been studied with  non-invasive means, like X-ray or MRI, without actually opening caskets  or even removing from the burial.  With Native American remains, all discoveries must be turned over to a Native American organization for reburial in accordance with the Native American Graves and Repatriation act. In a controversial case over Kennewick man, a nearly 10,000 year old specimen found In Kennewick, Washington, Native Americans attempted to apply this law to prevent further study of the remains.  The skeleton appears more European looking than Amerind, and   Scientists went to court to get an exemption for the remains, arguing that this was a special case and the individual was clearly not of native descent.  The courts agreed and the individual remains in the Burke Museum at Washington University.  The museum is a neutral repository and will not display the remains.In the past, though, remains haven't been treated with as much dignity.  Egyptian Mummies were so common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that they had reportedly been used as fuel for steam locomotives and ships.  This may not have been a common practice, and I know of at least one instance where it was specifically an emergency measure, but there are reports of this kind of treatment.

Can I leave my skeletal remains to my child and descendants, similar to what you'd find on display in a medical school, as a teaching tool?

You can leave any instructions you desire in your will - up to and including assigning each and every phalange of your fingers to a specific person. There is nothing illegal about it.The hurdles are two: how to make your skeletal remains happen? and who will take you up on your offer?While there are extensive services for taxidermy of animals (ONLY), there are no such services commercially available at this time to mere mortal humans, aka you.The only path towards your body being actually use in medical and scientific purposes is through a body donation: Donate Your Body To Science - it will not be to your relatives, but to medical students.Now, about that second question - even if you direct your heirs and relatives to get the skeletal remains, there is no one who will make them do it. Reference to that macabre portion of it.With the wills, there is always an option of saying, “No, thanks” - and so your remains are risking ending up unclaimed (don’t want to say “in a composting pile” but this is an option too).Please reconsider your reasons: if you want to haunt your heirs and loved ones long after you’re gone, this is a respectable wish, yet it will be impossible to enforce (executor of your estate is unlikely to visit your descendants to make sure that your remains are where they should be).Yet there is a perfectly legal way (with no cost to you) of ensuring that your remains are tools used to further our science and medical fields, without giving your loved ones a mild heart attack each time they think of you.