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Penn Museum has updated its policies regarding the handling of human remains, and decided to no longer put “exposed” remains on exhibition.
Wrapped mummies or remains enclosed in a vessel will still be considered for display with signage forewarning visitors. But all visible human tissue — such as bones, teeth, and hair — will be removed from view.
“It’s about prioritizing human dignity and the wishes of descendant communities,” said Penn Museum director Christopher Woods. “We want to make sure that these are our front and center of how the museum operates.”
Displays may still involve recreations of human remains such as molds cast from the original. The policy extends to Penn Museum’s educational programs, which will use artificial remains for teaching purposes in most circumstances.
“Only in the advanced classes, subject to review, would we use actual human remains,” Woods said. “So it’s not taboo. We’re just being very careful in our use of human remains, how they’re displayed, research access to them, and how we teach with them.”