Care of human remains in the MUEC collections

Care of human remains and Eurocentrism

MUEC’s strategic guidelines include a critical perspective on the Eurocentrism that has historically shaped the treatment and interpretation of its collections, in common with many museums across the continent. 

In recent decades, international museology – particularly through ICOM – has been engaged in decoloniality, aiming at a profound reassessment and transformation of museological practices. 

This process of analysis and change requires the revision of museum and collection procedures and protocols to correct biases and approaches that fail to respect other cultures or provide adequate space for reflection on the impact of European and Western colonialism. 

In this context, one of the key areas that the MUEC seeks to address is the care of human remains.

 

Description and understanding of human remains at the MUEC

The MUEC holds a collection of over 70,000 objects, including 34 records corresponding to human remains, primarily osteological in nature. Human remains are defined as all material elements originating from a human body. 

The MUEC applies a dual classification to human remains based on their care and biological process. It distinguishes between remains that have not undergone any manipulation or process that has affected their morphology, and those that have been used as raw material for the production of objects within their historical and cultural context. A further distinction is made between remains naturally lost by individuals during their lifetime without necessarily suffering an injury (e.g. hair, blood, teeth or nails) and those that have been removed at some point in the peri- or post-mortem period.

This collection, which is primarily osteological, consists of twenty records from the Museum’s own holdings and fourteen from private collections that are currently on loan. 

Their origins are varied. Some come from key figures in the formation of the Museum’s collections, such as Leopoldo Gómez Alonso and Jordi Sabater Pi, between the 1930s and 1950s. Others were acquired by public institutions and bodies, which deposited them directly with the Museum or the City Council, and eventually became part of the MUEC collection. These include contributions from the Junta de Museus, the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona and the city’s Historical Archive. Another important source of acquisitions comes from collection expeditions organised by the Museum itself and financed by Barcelona City Council in the 1960s and 1970s. August Panyella, Eudald Serra and Albert Folch participated in these expeditions.

Osteological studies of the Museum’s collection allowed the first distinction to be made between human and non-human bone remains within its holdings. This study will need to be further developed as more osteological material is identified during the ongoing inventory. At present, the remains include skulls, jaws and various limb bones. In terms of origin, we can currently identify three from Ecuador, one from Colombia, five from Papua New Guinea, one from Australia, three from Nepal, one from India, one from Equatorial Guinea, four from Catalonia and four of unknown origin.

 

Framework for the care of human remains

In Catalonia and Spain, there is currently no established framework for the care of human remains in museums. For this reason, the MUEC draws on ICOM guidelines and standards developed in several European countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands, where more or less general frameworks for the care of human remains have been implemented.

The MUEC’s approach is also based on the Commitment Measures document produced by the National Museum of Anthropology in Madrid, which serves as a key reference for its care protocols.

 

Measures for the care of human remains at the MUEC

1. Display of human remains

  • Human remains will not be displayed unless they are essential to understanding the Museum’s narrative. In such cases, the Museum will seek to create a space for consultation and dialogue with the communities of origin.

  • Human remains will always be presented in context.

  • Human remains will be displayed to the public with the utmost respect.

2. Loans of human remains to other institutions

  • Institutions requesting human remains from the MUEC collections for temporary display or long-term storage for a permanent exhibition must comply with the Museum’s commitments regarding the display of human remains.

  • A work group comprising members of MUEC’s technical team – possibly including external consultants and, where possible, representatives of the communities of origin – will assess such requests.

  • As with all loans, institutions must meet the necessary conservation and security requirements, which are available on the Museum’s website.

3. Use of images of human remains

  • As with loaned objects, images of human remains held by the Museum and photographs of human remains from the Museum’s archives will not be shared unless their use is properly justified, accompanied by sufficient contextual information and treated with the utmost respect.

  • Under no circumstances will images of human remains be made available if the communities of origin do not wish them to be publicly displayed.

  • The general procedure for requesting the use of images can be found here.

4. Access to human remains for research, documentation or other purposes

  • The MUEC is committed to maintaining an up-to-date inventory of the human remains in its collection, which will be available on its website.

  • Individuals wishing to access human remains held by the Museum must submit a reasoned request, taking into account this policy statement, to coleccionsmeb@bcn.cat. The request must outline the project for which access is sought and provide a reasoned justification for the need to examine the remains.

  • A working group consisting of members of the MUEC technical team and, where possible, external consultants and representatives of the communities of origin will evaluate each request.

  • Those granted access must be accompanied at all times by members of the Museum’s technical team or support staff.

  • Human remains must always be treated with respect and dignity.

  • Upon completion of research, documentation or other work requiring access, a copy of the results must be sent to the Museum.

  • As a general rule, photography, filming and sampling of human remains in storage is not permitted. Exceptions may be considered if the request is justified accordingly.

5. Preservation of human remains

  • Most human remains are stored together in a designated cabinet section, separate from other records, in an area specifically reserved for such materials. This room is equipped with a climate control system. Other conservation and security measures are similar to those applied to the rest of the Museum’s collections.

6. Incorporation of new human remains into the collection

  • The MUEC has no intention of adding new human remains to its collections.

     

This set of measures for the care of human remains at the MUEC will come into effect upon its publication on the Museum’s website in January 2025. The MUEC is committed to regularly reviewing and updating this policy, and to considering any changes suggested by representatives of the societies and cultures associated with the Museum’s collections.

Download the measures for the care of human remains here.

 

Want to know more?

Browse a list of references on the subject Here.

Find out how other museums handle human remains here.