Munro Lecture - Necropolitics in the Collection

There are hundreds of thousands of human remains in collections housed in institutions across the globe. The histories of these collections vary greatly, from individuals in historic anatomical collections to ancestral remains from archaeological sites. However, these collections were founded in colonial and imperial practices rooted in white supremacy. Acknowledging this history is vital to building a postcolonial bioanthropology. However, identifying ethical action for collections with no known direct descendant ties is complicated.

Professor Agarwal will begin with a brief overview of the historical legacy of anatomical and anthropological collection of human remains. She will then present the case study of human remains from South Asia (India), millions that were exported in a red market to educational institutions globally for almost two centuries. Human remains from South Asia (India) exemplify the necessary intervention, but also why applying Western Judeo-Christian values or American essentialism extends historical paternalism and racism. She will also emphasize the cultural variability in perceptions of human remains globally, contemporary ethical collection and studies, and the need for ethical and antiracist anthropological guidelines for a global world.

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Host or Publisher School of History, Classics and Archaeology