Mummies and other human remains held in UK museums raise serious ethical questions, warn scholars

"The significant number of ancestors held in UK museums is extremely distressing and symbolic of the colonial origins of these collections. We hope that the responses gathered by The Guardian will be shared with the relevant communities to support them in bringing their ancestors home."

"In order to undertake more of this work with the level of care and respect required, the sector urgently needs funding for training, research and physical return."

An investigation revealed that 241 British institutions hold more than 263,000 human remains, including skeletons, skulls, bones, mummies, and body parts. Approximately 37,000 items originate from overseas, particularly former British colonies, while thousands more have uncertain provenance. The Museum Ethnographers Group emphasizes that these collections reflect colonial origins and cause distress to descendant communities. Museum professionals advocate for culturally appropriate care, prioritizing repatriation of remains to their communities of origin. The sector requires urgent funding for training, research, and physical return of remains. Data compiled from freedom of information requests suggests actual totals are likely higher due to incomplete records and complex cataloguing systems.

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