The real barbarians - Vast scale of overseas human remains held in UK museums decried by MPs and experts

[malaise]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/07/vast-scale-of-overseas-human-remains-held-in-uk-museums-decried-by-mps-and-experts

Exclusive: Guardian study finds UK museums hold more than 260,000 items of remains, often in sacrilegious ways
Which human remains are held in UK museums – and where?


An investigation by the Guardian found that UK museums hold more than 263,000 items of human remains from around the world, including whole skeletons, preserved bodies, such as Egyptian mummies, skulls, bones, skin, teeth, nails, scalps and hair.

Responses to freedom of information (FoI) requests from the Guardian revealed that 37,000 items of human remains are known to originate from overseas, including thousands from former British colonies. The countries of origin of another 16,000 items are unknown.

Of the 28,914 items of human remains known to originate from outside Europe, 11,856 were identified as coming from Africa, 9,550 from Asia, 3,252 from Oceania, 2,276 from North America, and 1,980 from South America.

The institution with the largest collection of non-European human remains is the Natural History Museum in London, with at least 11,215 items. It has the largest collections of remains from Asia and North and South America.

The University of Cambridge has the second largest, with at least 8,740 items in its Duckworth laboratory, including the biggest collection (6,223) of remains known to originate from Africa.

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Read and weep

[Pisces]

1. I have been to the British Museum and they have the largest Egyptian antiquities in the world. The only thing

that is positive is that most of these artifacts wouldn’t exist if not for the preservation efforts of the museum. It’s a catch 22. Many people visiting the museum are able to marvel at the Eygptian culture and what they accomplished without modern medicine or modern tools.
I’m torn.

[malaise]

2. The people would be in their graves where they belong

That’s my position.

[Pisces]

5. I respect your views. It's a hard one for me because there is value in appreciating the mummification

Techniques, similar to viewing the plaster casts of Pompeii that were preserved in ash from Mt. Vesuvius.

[genxlib]

3. I always loved the British Museum as one of the most fascinating places on Earth

For most of my early life I appreciated the opportunity to experience so many iconic historical and cultural objects in one place.

It was only with time and maturity that I began to understand how it represents the fucked-up legacy of colonialism.

It would pain me to see it broken up but the stuff doesn't belong there. It never did. It should all go back from whence it came unless the Countries in question want it to stay.

[malaise]

4. We think alike

Rec