Manchester Museum is engaging visitors in a consultation regarding the future display of Asru, a 2,700-year-old mummified woman. The museum's inquiry reflects a wider effort to address the colonial history of its collections and the ethics surrounding the display of human remains. Recent parliamentary calls for ethical handling of ancestral remains further underscore the museum's responsibility. Asru, who lived in Thebes, was displayed for 200 years since her unwrapping in 1825, with her history now prompting the museum to reflect on historical wrongs and contemporary ethics in curation.
Asru's mummified body is the subject of a consultation at Manchester Museum, questioning the ethics of displaying human remains and exploring decolonization.
The museum’s inquiry into Asru's display is a broader examination of colonial legacy, addressing how the UK museum sector has benefitted from historical injustices.
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