In its stores. But what do you do with an ancient skull and head collection of
Potentially culturally sensitive artefacts?
After returning a Maori tattooed head and skulls to New Zealand, university staff revealed the institute is facing the problem of what to do with other ancient remains identified in the medical school stores.
Dr June Jones,religious and cultural diversity expert at the university, said the remains reflect European exploration and the former British Empire.
‘Deeply ashamed’
Each item is boxed and labeled with a location,including Fiji,East Africa, Australia, the USA and New Zealand. Some are simply classified ‘Inca’.
The fact is the university would rather not own this material at all.
There is scant paperwork about how the body parts came to be in Birmingham,but it is likely they were collected by wealthy individuals in the 1700s and 1800s before being donated to the medical school,which wes founded in 1825.