The Dead And Their Possessions: Repatriation In Principle, Policy And Practice

C. Fforde, Jane Hubert, P. Turnbull

Routledge Chapman & Hall, 2004 - Social Science - 340 pages

The Dead and Their Possessionspresents recent research by indigenous and non-indigenous people from museum, archaeological, anthropological, historical, educational, and community backgrounds. The authors examine a wide range of histories, experiences, developments, and consequences of the collecting and/or repatriation of human remains, with contributions from countries such as Uruguay and South Africa, where the issue is only just beginning, to the United States, where repatriation has been law for over a decade. This book raises fundamental questions about the nature, ethics and practice of scientific enquiry, the ownership of the dead, the politics of the past and the needs of the future. The issues surrounding the collecting and repatriation of human remains are not only of vital importance to many indigenous groups, but also to the future of museum curatorship and the nature and practice of archaeology and anthropology today. This book will be invaluable not only to those involved in theteaching and research in this field, but also to museum professionals who have received repatriation requests, and to those groups who are facing the challenges of the return of human remains and cultural objects to their own communities.

About the author

Cressida Fforde is an independent researcher and holds an honorary post at the Institute of Archaeology, University of London.
Jane Hubert is Senior Research Fellow and Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Dept of Psychiatry of Disability at St George's Hospital Medical School.
Paul Turnball is Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Cross-Cultural Research, Australian National University

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Dead And Their Possessions: Repatriation In Principle, Policy And Practice; Volume 43 of One world archaeology series
• Editors: C. Fforde, Jane Hubert, P. Turnbull
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Routledge Chapman & Hall, 2004
• ISBN: 0415344492, 9780415344494
• Length: 340 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Museum Administration & Museology; Social Science / Archaeology; Social Science / Death & Dying