National Army Museum
Royal Hospital Road
Chelsea
London
SW3 4HT
Parent Organisation:
Funded by:
Funded through Grant-in-Aid, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence
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?:
2 groups of bones, 2 preserved amputated limbs (fingers and toes, preserved in spirit). A few items are currently identified as animal but may be human. None are of ancient British origin or Pagan origin.
Total: 2
How many of these human remains are well documented, with clear context of date and place of exhumation?:
Those items described above are fully documented with either exhumation or amputation information.
Where there are ancestors in store, is there a history of use?:
The fingers are on display and have been for some years, and the toes have been lent to another museum.
Where there are ancestors in store, is there potential for use, in display, education or scientific analysis?
The bones are in storage but are available to researchers (as with all National Army Museum Collections), and may be used for display or lent to other museums.
Does the museum have a disposal policy, and is it including HR with negligible potential in its discussions about disposal?:Yes
The Museum has an Acquisition and Disposal Policy (on the National Army Museum website). Any human remains in a poor condition, undisplayable or a health & safety hazard, might be considered for disposal. However, no disposal of human remains has yet been contemplated or is likely to be contemplated in the near future.
What sources of information about these human remains are in the public domain and where?:
Information on the human remains is available to any person making an enquiry about the Museum’s holdings, through our normal channels.
Does the museum have ancestors (human remains) on display?:Yes
The fingers are on display and have been for some time, the other remains are not.
There is no reason to consult Pagans about this display – the person who donated his fingers is happy with the display.
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?:
None
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
Recent Comments