YLM Database

Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery

Museum Street
Lancashire
BB1 7AJ

Parent Organisation:
Funded by:

Local authority

YLM Entry Submitted: Yes
Comments:

How many human remains are in its collection, and how many of those are of ancient British provenance, pre-Christian or in other way Pagan?:

9 individuals / groups on bone. 3 Bronze Age British – partially cremated bones.

Total: 12

How many of these human remains are well documented, with clear context of date and place of exhumation?:

All

Where there are ancestors in store, is there a history of use?:

Not for the cremated remains, but the urns have been displayed.

Where there are ancestors in store, is there potential for use, in display, education or scientific analysis?

Display potential to show cremation process, in principle: but not vast.

Does the museum have a disposal policy, and is it including HR with negligible potential in its discussions about disposal?:Yes

Yes, disposal policy, but no clause on human remains.

What sources of information about these human remains are in the public domain and where?:

None

Does the museum have ancestors (human remains) on display?:Yes

Egyptian mummy and mummy head. Mummy head especially simply has ‘shock value’ and is inappropriate. Press a button to light case!

Does the museum hold any iconic ancestors, ie. complete skeletons with a well documented story, or those considered of national or local importance, and are these on display?:

No! But mummy has been x-rayed, and has an encaustic portrait (Roman period, from Hawara).

Has the museum used or considered using replicas in displays? If not, why not and what would you find useful in moving to these? If you have, what response did these receive?:

Documents:

26 August, 2008