They Are People Too: The Ethics of Curation and Use of Human Skeletal Remains for Teaching and Research

Abstract

This paper is an introduction and review for the special issue of AJBA on the Curation and Use of Human Skeletal Remains for Teaching and Research, which emerged from an organized session at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists in 2022. The authors of this special issue describe the ethical challenges surrounding the collection, curation, and use of human skeletal remains in biological anthropology, focusing particularly on the historical exploitation of marginalized communities, such as Indigenous and African American populations. These remains were often acquired without consent through colonial exploitation and unethical practices like grave robbing. This introduction presents a historical review of the dehumanization of these remains, which have been treated as scientific specimens rather than as individuals with complex histories. We highlight the ongoing misuse of human remains in academic settings and the perpetuation of structural violence. The papers in this special issue call for the development of ethical guidelines that emphasize transparency, respect for descendant communities, and the consideration of non-destructive research methods. The authors advocate for rehumanizing these remains, fostering collaboration with descendant communities, and supporting efforts for repatriation. This special issue aims to encourage biological anthropologists to pause and critically reflect on the discipline's colonial and racist foundations, taking meaningful steps toward a more ethical and just treatment of human remains in teaching and research.