Guidance for Best Practice for the Treatment of Human Remains Excavated from Christian Burial Grounds in England Second Edition
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2017 Guidance for Best Practice for the Treatment of Human Remains Excavated from Christian Burial Grounds in England Second Edition 1 Summary Contents The treatment of human remains is one of the most emotive Introduction ............................................................3 and complex areas of archaeological activity. In 2001, a Human The organisation of this document ........................................4 Remains Working Group was convened jointly by English Heritage General considerations ...........................................4 and the Church of England in order to address the issues. Their Legal frameworks ..................................................................4 remit concerned burials from Christian contexts dating from the Ethical treatment of human remains .....................................4 7th-19th century AD in England. This provided a coherent group Scientific benefits of of material to which a consistent theological framework could be burial archaeology ................................................................6 applied in order to help inform ethical treatment and for which Specific considerations ............................................6 reasonably specific guidance might be given. Disturbance of human remains ............................................6 The archaeological fieldwork project ...................................7 The first edition of this document, published in 2005, was a Archiving and long-term storage synthesis of the results of the group’s deliberations. It aimed to of excavated remains.............................................................9 provide reasonably comprehensive guidelines covering treatment of human remains and associated artefacts and grave markers Annexes .................................................................12 at all phases of an archaeological fieldwork project, including Annex L1: Exhumation of human remains: a short guide to decisions concerning whether remains should be retained long- the law ...............................................................................12 term for scientific study or reburied following completion of the Annex L2: Legal Case Studies ............................................16 analysis phase of the fieldwork project. The target audience was Annex L3: Ministry of Justice application forms primarily archaeologists, local authority planning departments, and guidance notes for authority to excavate human remains museums, clergy, and church organisations such as parochial for archaeological purposes .................................................19 church councils, diocesan advisory committees and consistory Annex E1: Human remains in Christian theology ................25 courts. This second edition represents an update to that Annex E2: The theological position of the Church document, intended principally to reflect developments in matters of England regarding the curation of the human remains relating to burial law that have taken place since 2005. interred under, and still within, its jurisdiction. ..................27 Annex E3: Definition of the theological effects of The principal assumptions underpinning this document are: consecration on the status of a burial, and the effects of the dissolution of the monasteries ..................................28 That human remains should always be treated with Annex E4: The presumption of dignity and respect. non-disturbance of archaeological remains and the question of research excavations ......................................................30 Burials should not be disturbed without good reason. Annex E5: Excavation of skeletons lying partly However it was noted that the demands of the modern world under baulks .......................................................................32 are such that it may be necessary to disturb burials in advance Annex E6: The ethics of destructive sampling of of development. human remains ...................................................................33 Annex S1: A summary of some of the potential benefits from Human remains, and the archaeological evidence for the rites the study of collections of human skeletons from Christian which accompanied and commemorate their burial, burial grounds .....................................................................34 are important sources of scientific information. Annex S2: Minimum standards for site assessment, evaluation and mitigation ...................................................36 There is a need to give particular weight to the feelings Annex S3: Minimum standards for and views of living family members when known. archaeological excavation ...................................................38 Annex S4: Minimum standards for There is a need for decisions to be made in the public interest, post-excavation procedures .................................................41 and in an accountable way. Annex S5: Health and safety aspects specific to human remains ...................................................................42 The main recommendations are: Annex S6: Retention of skeletal collections and factors affecting the scientific value 1. Continuing burial of collections ......................................................................43 Annex S7: Archiving, longer term access a. Digging any fresh graves in parts of an established and storage ........................................................................45 burial ground thought to be an area of archaeological Annex S8: Reinterment: technical aspects...........................47 significance should be avoided unless all graves in the area are first excavated archaeologically. Appendix: List of APABE members ........................48 b. Archaeological monitoring of grave digging in References .............................................................49 churchyards and cemeteries is otherwise not something that can reasonably be required on a routine basis. 1 2. Development of burial grounds b. When a skeleton lies only partly 6. Advisory committee within an area under excavation a. If burial grounds, or areas within it should not normally be ‘chased’ a. The Advisory Panel for the burial grounds, which may beyond it. However, if the burial Archaeology of Christian contain interments more than 100 is deemed osteologically or Burials in England (APACBE) years old have to be disturbed, archaeologically important, the was set up in 2005, and whether for minor building work trench should be extended so reformed as the Advisory or larger scale development, to that the skeleton may be lifted Panel for the Archaeology of a depth that is likely to disturb in its entirety, provided this Burials in England (APABE) burials, the relevant areas will not result in disturbance of in 2008. As well as taking should be archaeologically further burials. If it is not deemed forward the recommendations evaluated beforehand. Any necessary to lift the burial then of this document, APABE subsequent exhumations should the exposed remains should be provides casework advice be monitored, and if necessary reinterred in the trench. on archaeological burials of carried out, by suitably qualified c. Destructive analysis of human all periods in England, and archaeologists. remains is acceptable provided promulgates policy in this area b. The developer, whether that research aims are identified a religious or a secular and adequately justified and if 7. Wider implications organisation, should be permission is given by the living responsible for the cost, including close family of the individual a. Many of the issues raised study of excavated remains, involved, if known. here may have more general archiving and publication of the d. On excavations conducted for the applicability to human burials results of that study, and the purposes of evaluation of a site, excavated from English sites. reburial or deposition of remains lifting of human remains should It is hoped that this document in a suitable holding institution be undertaken to an extent may stimulate debate which may sufficient to ensure adequate lead to formulation of policy for evaluation. dealing with human remains from 3. Research excavation a wider range of contexts. 5. Reburial and deposition b. Many of the issues raised here a. Research excavation of would benefit from further unthreatened burial grounds or a. If living close family members are consideration in the broader areas of burial grounds is only known and request it, excavated context of dealing with acceptable if interments are human remains should be human remains. more than 100 years old, and the reburied. proposed work is acceptable to b. Excavated human remains shown the living close families of those after due assessment to have who are buried, if known. limited future research potential b. Research excavations should should be studied and then normally take place within reburied. established research frameworks. c. Reburial should normally be Specific research aims must also by inhumation rather than by be identified and adequately cremation. justified. d. When excavated human remains c. The project budget should include are more than 100 years old sufficient provision to cover not and have significant future only excavation costs but also the research potential, deposition study of all recovered remains, in a suitable holding institution archiving and publication of the should be arranged. In some results of that study, and the cases, redundant churches or reburial or