"UK museums hold more than 263,000 items of human remains from around the world, including whole skeletons, preserved bodies, such as Egyptian mummies, skulls, bones, skin, teeth, nails, scalps and hair. Responses to freedom of information requests from the Guardian revealed that 37,000 items of human remains are known to originate from overseas, including thousands from former British colonies."
"Of the 28,914 items of human remains known to originate from outside Europe, 11,856 were identified as coming from Africa, 9,550 from Asia, 3,252 from Oceania, 2,276 from North America, and 1,980 from South America. The institution with the largest collection of non-European human remains is the Natural History Museum in London, with at least 11,215 items."
"Of the 241 museums, universities and councils that hold human remains, only 100 disclosed an exact or estimated number of individuals represented in their collections, totalling around 79,334 people. The remainder said they did not know, often because remains from different bodies were mixed together or due to gaps in their records, such as items being undocumented."
UK museums and universities hold more than 263,000 items of human remains, including skeletons, mummies, skulls, bones, and other body parts from around the globe. An investigation revealed that 37,000 items originate from overseas, with thousands from former British colonies, while 16,000 items have unknown origins. Of 28,914 non-European remains, 11,856 come from Africa, 9,550 from Asia, 3,252 from Oceania, 2,276 from North America, and 1,980 from South America. The Natural History Museum in London holds the largest collection with 11,215 non-European items, followed by Cambridge University with 8,740 items. Only 100 of 241 institutions disclosed exact numbers, totalling approximately 79,334 people. Many institutions lack proper documentation and provenance records, with some holding undocumented remains in cardboard boxes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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