Oxfordshire County Council: Museum Services
Oxfordshire Museums
Fletcher’s House
Park Street
Woodstock
OX20 1SN
Parent Organisation:
Funded by:
Local Authority – Oxfordshire County Council
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?:
The museums covered by the county Museums Service hold 488 human remains. Of these, 3% Neolithic, 2% Bronze Age, 15% Iron Age, 40% are Romano-British, 12% Anglo-Saxon, 18% medieval and 10% post-medieval. Pre-Christian 351.
Total: 488
How many of these human remains are well documented, with clear context of date and place of exhumation?:
The majority are well documented, but the exact figure is not known.
Where there are ancestors in store, is there a history of use?:
A record is kept of enquiries and study visits relating to the human remains.
Where there are ancestors in store, is there potential for use, in display, education or scientific analysis?
Yes – Especially where the concern is public education of past burial methods and customs.
Does the museum have a disposal policy, and is it including HR with negligible potential in its discussions about disposal?:Yes
Human remains collected before the Museums Service collecting policy was drawn up will come under review. The Museums Service has recently prepared a human remains policy which will be available on-line in the new year (2011).
What sources of information about these human remains are in the public domain and where?:
Information about the collections cannot be accessed on-line, but is available on request, depending on the nature of the enquiry.
Does the museum have ancestors (human remains) on display?:Yes
Human remains from the collections are currently displayed at the Oxfordshire Museum (Woodstock), the Museum of Oxford (Oxford), and the Vale and Downland Museum (Wantage). In the Roman Gallery of the Oxfordshire Museum there is part of a Roman skeleton, 4 bones and the skull of a young woman found at Ardley as well as parts of a more complete Roman skeleton in a lead coffin found in Abingdon on 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?:
The museum does not hold any iconic remains.
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
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