| David Cameron's Conservative conference speech in full Read a full transcript of David Cameron's speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. telegraph.co.uk |
Miliband benefit plea on PM debut Ed Miliband has clashed with David Cameron over proposed cuts to child benefits in his first prime minister's questions as Labour leader. bbc.co.uk |
Death of deportee 'regrettable' The death of a Angolan man who fell ill as he was being deported from the UK was "extraordinarily regrettable", the security minister says. bbc.co.uk |
Museums avoid displaying human remains 'out of respect' Museums becoming 'over-sensitive' to the demands of minority groups, author claimsMuseums are increasingly getting cold feet about exhibiting human bodies and body parts – despite surveys showing the public is fascinated and quite untroubled by such displays.In a book published today, Tiffany Jenkins, a sociologist who is a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics's law department, argues mummies and other human remains have been displayed covered by linen wrappings, in dark cases that have to be illuminated by pressing a button, displayed with warning notices or been taken off display completely.Examples she has uncovered in her book, Contesting Human Remains in Museum Collections, include bones showing rickets – a disease of poverty and malnutrition which produced deformity of the legs – taken off display at the Museum of London and the head of an iron age bog body, Worsley Man, removed at Manchester University Museum. Manchester also covered its mummies with linen sheets, but uncovered them after public protest.The Egypt gallery at Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery displays a body curved into a foetal position in a dark case that visitors press a button to illuminate, and displays its mummies with their coffin lids half closed.The Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro shows no images of human remains other than wrapped mummies online or in publicity material.In the last decade some museums, such as the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow, have returned human remains, including Maori heads to New Zealand.However, Jenkins said demands for reburial were now coming from minority groups in Britain, including pagans and druids, while Manchester consulted the group Honouring the Ancient Dead, which campaigns for reburial of pre-Christian British remains, before removing the Worsley Man head.Jenkins argued that museums were being being "over-sensitive" to demands both from minority groups, and in some cases their own staff, for greater "respect" for human remains."This is not driven by public demand, but professional insecurity. Unfortunately it will penalise the millions of people who enjoy learning from the display of human remains. It will also impact detrimentally on the research environment, making it more difficult to study this important material," she said."The profession is over-reacting to the claims of small minority groups, such as the pagan organisation Honoring the Ancient Dead. Curiously, the profession do not take into account the feelings of other pagan groups who advocate the use of human remains in research and display, such as Pagans for Archaeology."A recent survey for English Heritage found that only 9% of people absolutely opposed museums displaying human bones, more than half supported such displays regardless of the age of the bones, and a further 27% supported them if the bones were more than a century old.MuseumsHeritageMaev Kennedyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Trouble costs Translink £400,000 Translink has confirmed the destruction of two buses during trouble in Rathcoole has cost the company £400,000. bbc.co.uk |