Ethical Issues in Studying Human Skeletal Remains

Flashcards about ethical issues in studying human skeletal remains.

What is the central issue in discussions about ethical considerations when studying human skeletal remains?

That human skeletal remains represent emotionally charged objects.

What is required for all human osteological remains?

An appropriate level of respect.

What does the photograph in the lecture represent?

The consequences of grave looting in Peru.

What does NAGPRA stand for?

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

What was the purpose of NAGPRA?

To address the often lackadaisical attitude towards Native American graves.

In what year did Oregon pass its laws pertaining to Native American graves?

1979

Who is in charge of dealing with discovered remains involving the state in Oregon?

A state historic preservation officer.

In what year was NAGPRA passed by the federal government?

1990

Which institutions did NAGPRA require to conduct an inventory of their holdings?

All institutions that received federal funding that housed Native American remains.

By what year were institutions required to complete their inventory under NAGPRA?

1995

Under NAGPRA, what happened to materials designated as culturally unaffiliated?

They didn't need to be repatriated; they just remained as unassociated.

What can tribes provide to make claims to materials housed in various institutions?

Determine cultural affiliation.

How successful have tribes been in making claims to materials under NAGPRA?

Varying degrees of success.

In what way do laws often vary between countries regarding human remains?

The degree of individual property rights.

Which country tends to be an extreme outlier in the area of individual property rights regarding cultural patrimony?

The US

In the US, what are items of cultural patrimony other than human remains usually considered?

The property of the property owner.

In many other countries, what are items of cultural patrimony considered?

The properties of everyone in the country, or the property of the state.

Why have some famous Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons never entered research in the US?

They were found on private land and were sold to the highest bidder.

In Greece, which entity has the right to curate or assess cultural patrimony discovered on private land?

The ministry in charge of cultural heritage.

What is a huge problem caused by the trade in illegal antiquities?

The destruction of archaeological sites and cultural patrimony.

What happens to archaeological items once they are removed from their original context?

They lose all research value and often can't be appropriately reallocated.

What is a matter of consideration for workers based in the US when conducting research in countries with conflicting regulations?

Weighing those concerns.

By their nature, what kind of processes are archaeological research, bioarchaeology, etcetera?

They are destructive processes.

What forms of research can create 3D representations of skeletal materials?

Making laser surface scans or CT scans.

Are the rights to three-dimensional representations of human remains sometimes disputed?

Sometimes disputed.

Where are people required to make the three-dimensional models available when they accept US federal funding to conduct their research?

A public database.

What do some of the institutions that house skeletal materials require when researchers collect data?

They retain all property rights to that material.

What is an example institution requiring researchers to sign a waiver that states any data collected is the property of the instituion, not the researchers?

The National Museums of Kenya.

With what kind of research is it really important to involve local scientists and community members?

International research.

What is required to do research in Ethiopia?

A research permit from the authority for research and conservation of the cultural heritage.

In Ethiopia, who has to hire an official to come with the researching parties?

A government representative.

What is the job of the antiquities official in Ethiopia?

To interface with local authorities and make sure the research is ethical.

What kind of system of states does Ethiopia have?

A federal system with states.

Who will interface with the local people and explain what is occurring?

State officials may also provide a state representative to come with the project.

How are the local people in an area involved in the research process in Ethiopia?

Local community members are often recruited to participate in the research.

What is the general idea for local populations when the materials are found in their region?

The local people should benefit from the materials in their lands.

What is the desired impact of enlisting local elders in the research process?

Stakeholders weigh in on the research.

What can happen with state or local authorities that may want to keep those materials in that state?

Tensions.

What may complicate the issue of whose land it is when dealing with remains?

The national laws may require them to be housed in the national museum in the capital.

When providing the interpretation as to osteological remains, what is the most important aspect to be clear about?

Providing the basis for the interpretation as well as the interpretation.

What is one of the most important parts of ethical behavior when making interpretations?

Making clear uncertainty.

What should be avoided is one isn't an expert in osteology?

Not representing one's training.

What should happen with any conclusions regarding the postmortem interval?

Leaving that to those experts.

What is something that must be done for ethical research practices?

Making clear that one acknowledges one's own limitations in one's research.

What question is often less addressed in the research community?

What is the obligation of societies to the international community?

What is the Lucy skeleton?

A famous early hominin skeleton from Ethiopia discovered in 1972.

What country owns the Lucy skeleton?

Ethiopia.

What is the obligation of Ethiopia to the Lucy skeleton?

Protecting that skeleton.

What questions arise morally surrounding the Lucy skeleton?

Does it have a right to sell it off to the highest bidder? Does it have a right to destroy it if it wishes?

What would the conflict be in Ethiopia regarding the Lucy Skeleton?

If the local people from that region demand its return to the Afar.

What may the federal government be concerned with for the Lucy skeleton?

That they wouldn't have the resources or facilities to make it available to international researchers.

What is the title of the lecture about the ethical issues when studying human skeletal remains?

Ethical Issues in Osteological Research

What did the people, whose skeletal remains are being studied, once have?

Real concerns and beliefs about how their earthly remains should be treated.

Who often has concerns about the deceased human skeletal remains?

Relatives who are still around and concerned about those remains.

What is another kind of relationship that other individuals may have to those remains?

A belief in ancestry or a cultural connection.

How are unethical and illegal actions recognized?

Patterns of behavior are generally recognized as unethical and indeed illegal.

Why are graves looted in Peru?

Hunting for antiquities, pots, and other materials that they can sell on the illicit market.

What are the burial laws called in Oregon?

The Oregon burial laws.

What authoritative department in the state is often involved in dealing with the discovered human remains?

The state police.

What are the appropriate responders required to do with human remains discovered?

Interface with the appropriate Indian tribe.

What did the law require that all institutions do that received federal funding that housed Native American remains?

An inventory of what they had.

How did some researchers use a loophole to skirt around NAGPRA?

Many of them also just designated some of the materials as culturally unaffiliated.

With the new law, what step was afforded to the Native American tribes?

Tribes can make claims to materials housed in various institutions.

How do legal standards vary throughout the world?

Different countries have different legal standards.

What is the biggest legal consideration in The United States concerning remains?

Items of cultural patrimony are usually considered the property of the property owner.

What has been the fate for fossil remains in the United States?

Fossil material from The US have been sold into private collections and never entered research.

What statement is made about the illegal trading of antiquities?

The trade in illegal antiquities is massive.

What happens as soon as the remains are moved from their original location.

They lose all research value.

What issue is had with regulations in other countries regarding ethical behavior in The US?

Regulations in countries besides The US are in direct conflict with the rules in The US.

What sort of studies have an impact on skeletal remains?

Archaeological research, bioarchaeology.

What sort of destructive analyses can be done on skeletal remains?

Genetic or isotopic analysis.

What scan can make a 3D representation on human skeletal remains?

Making laser surface scans or CT scans.

In what country is the speaker well versed in?

Ethiopia is a great example of this where I have some familiarity.

What is required by the country of Ethiopia to conduct research there?

You have to receive a research permit from the authority for research and conservation of the cultural heritage.

Besides regulation, what is another real consideration when studying internationally?

Another concern with international research is that it is really important to involve local scientists and community members.

How are the local people in the Afar region often armed?

Often heavily armed

Whenever making an interpretation involving data collection, what is important to be made clear?

What is the basis for that interpretation

Besides the interpretation itself, what else is most appropriate to provide about the basis for the interpretation?

Providing a reference for why that basis is reasonable and considered an acceptable method.

What is one of the most ethical components in making clear about interpretation?

Making clear uncertainty.

What should be done with interpreting the specific training that one is not versed in?

Leaving that to those experts.

What should all scientists make perfectly clear when conducting research?

Acknowledges one's own limitations in one's research.

What is the less asked question in the science community?

Is what is the obligation of societies to the international community?

What discussion is brought forth involving Ethiopia and the Lucy Skeleton?

Whether or not Ethiopia is responsible for protecting Lucy's Skeleton.

Who has undisputed ownership over Lucy's skeleton?

Ethiopia is the undisputed owner of that skeleton.

Does Mr. Plemons provide any answers to the ethical questions posed during his lecture?

I don't have any answers to these questions.