Ethically Speaking about Ethics

Bioarchaeologists and forensic anthropologists face a multitude of ethical considerations when working with human remains. These deliberations range from; the initial recovery of human remains, the analysis of the skeleton, and their final storage conditions, display, repatriation and reburial. Whilst these issues are still pertinent, a number of emerging ethical issues have enhanced the ethical debate. For example, these newer discussions have questioned the applicability of destructive analyses, the display of human remains on social media, and the application of novel digital technologies. Furthermore, as newer techniques and technologies emerge, it becomes difficult for best practices to keep their guidance relevant.
As a result, over the past few years, a number of journal articles, books and working guidelines have attempted to address these issues. Therefore, the aim of this presentation is to highlight the existing ethical dilemmas faced by those who work with human remains. In doing so, this presentation will highlight these recent works, and using case studies and these recent ethical standards, this presentation will make recommendations for future best practice.