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This essay explores the instances in which human remains were used as material for contemporary artworks. Partly, the aim of the research is to find out why these materials are used and why it is important for the intended purpose of the artist that they do so. Another part of the aim is to investigate the representational layers of the material, and how the use of the material fits into a larger sociological context surrounding what we consider “proper care” of the dead. This is achieved through a thematic interpretive analysis which looks at the representation of the material, disruption of the dead and intention provided by the artists through the theoretical perspectives of Thomas Laqueur, Robert Hertz and Amelia Jones. In the end, the research concludes that the use of human remains as material for artworks is an intentional and imperative choice by the artists, who use the material to make grander statements about predetermined social orders and provide alternative ways of conceiving remains. For this to be done, the disruption of those social orders is a vital act, which is achieved through the disruption of human remains, making the “proper care” of the dead a necessarily neglected process. The fact that these bodies do represent a self, a life which has been previously lived with differing degrees of immediacy, is also required for the previously mentioned disruption to be able to take place. Our inherent insistence to access these represented selves serves to cause discomfort and redirect our attention to the will of the artists, who, in the making of the artwork, either repress or collaborate with the represented selves in order to make the statements which they set out to make.

The inclusion of lime in burials is observed in historical and archaeological records, in contemporary mass graves and forensic cases. Clearly there are controversies within the literature and there is a general misconception of the effects of lime on decomposition. Recent casework in Belgium and the UK involving the search for human remains buried with lime, have demonstrated the need for a more detailed understanding of the effect of different types of lime on cadaver decomposition and its micro-environment. Field and laboratory experiments using pigs as human body analogues were undertaken to obtain a better understanding of the taphonomic processes that govern lime burials. The changes observed in the experiments were related back to archaeological parallels in which white residues have been found. The combined results of these studies demonstrate that despite conflicting evidence in the literature, hydrated lime and quicklime both delay the initial stages of the decay process but do not arrest it completely. The end result is ultimately the same: skeletonisation. Furthermore this study stresses the importance of the specific microenvironment in taphonomic research and highlights the need for chemical analysis of white residues when encountered in a burial. Not all white powder is lime. White residue could be identified as calcium carbonate, building material, body decomposition products, minerals or degraded lead. This study has implications for the investigation of clandestine burials and for a better understanding of archaeological plaster burials. Knowledge of the effects of lime on decomposition processes also have bearing on practices involving the disposal of animal carcasses and potentially the management of mass graves and mass disasters by humanitarian organisation and DVI teams. / Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the University of Bradford

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<p>This dissertation examines how human remains are circulated as material culture in contemporary Western society. It is based on an extended period of research and fieldwork carried out from September 2011 to June 2013, in addition to forensic-related research conducted from 2007 to 2010. Through interviews with individuals who handle human remains and an analysis of popular culture via social and mass media, I pose the question: How and why have the undisposed dead been made to occupy a variety of spaces in contemporary Western society; for personal use, education, sale, or veneration?</p> <p>Interviews conducted with Roman Catholic clergy confirm not only the contemporary importance and influence of human relics, but the Church’s ongoing relationship with the dismembered body. This research thus offers a counterpoint to the usual positioning of the Church as anti-science and as imposing a religious taboo toward human remains. I argue instead that the Catholic Church historically has had an important influence on the practices of anatomical dissection, and the deeply embedded Western traditions of making the undisposed dead necessary, popular and culturally acceptable.</p> <p>As an extension of my analysis of the Catholic Church’s traditions and policies around the use of human remains, I examine the institutional handling of the dead in various types of museums and compare this with how human remains are celebrated and circulated in popular culture. Lastly, I explore the work of five controversial visual artists who use human remains in their art.1 Through extensive personal interviews, conducted in their homes and studios, I demonstrate how Catholic bodies, images and symbols have profoundly inspired (rather than discouraged) these visual artists in their personal, as well as artistic narratives.</p> <p>My research shows that, contrary to the academic literature, human remains are neither imbued with fear, nor with notions of violence or taboo; neither are they deployed to symbolically encounter death. In the hands of either institutional or personal collectors, I argue that human remains are valuable commodities through which membership, identity, and knowledge are expressed in contemporary Western society.</p> <p>1 Wayne Martin Belger, Al Farrow, Andrew Krasnow, Mark Prent, Joel Peter Witkin</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Considérant le contexte actuel entourant le rapatriement des ancêtres autochtones et des besoins formulés par ces communautés de voir ce retour s’effectuer promptement, force est de constater que les institutions québécoises ne répondent pas à ce besoin de manière proactive. Les processus de rapatriement québécois sont rares, mais sont plus fréquents au Canada et aux États-Unis. À l’aide d’une grille de critères d’analyse, je fais une comparaison entre trois études de cas canadiennes et états-uniennes afin de déterminer quels sont les éléments facilitants, les outils, les obstacles et les modes de résolution de conflit qui permettraient de mettre en place nos propres processus de rapatriement éthiques et décolonisées au Québec. Les approches diffèrent selon les deux pays : le Canada a adopté une approche localisée centrée autour de la négociation, tandis que les États-Unis ont plutôt adopté une approche rigide standardisée par des législations fédérales, les lois Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) et National Museum of the American Indian Act (NMAIA). Quel type d’approche correspondrait le mieux à notre contexte socio-historique? Celle rigide de type NAGPRA ne répond pas aux besoins de flexibilité formulés par les Premiers Peuples. Cependant, certains éléments des législations états-uniennes auraient grand avantage à être adoptés puisqu’ils impliquent des changements nécessaires à la mise en place de processus de rapatriement efficaces (organisation des collections, inclusion de savoirs traditionnels, etc.). De plus, certains éléments juridiques autochtones pourraient être implantés dans la constitution de processus de rapatriement, qui doit être conjointe. / Considering the current context surrounding the repatriation of Indigenous ancestors and the needs expressed by these communities to see this return take place promptly, it is obvious that Quebec institutions are not responding to this need in a proactive manner. Cases of repatriation in Quebec are rare, but certain processes exist in Canada and the United States. Using a grid of analytical criteria, I compare three Canadian and American case studies in order to determine what are the facilitating elements, tools, obstacles and methods of conflict resolution which can allow us to set up our own ethical and decolonized repatriation processes in Quebec. The approaches differ depending on the two countries: Canada has adopted a localized approach centered around negotiation, the United States on the other hand has adopted a rigid approach standardized by federal legislation, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and National Museum of the American Indian Act (NMAIA). What type of approach would best fit our socio-historical context? The rigid NAGPRA model does not meet the flexibility needs expressed by the First Peoples, Inuits and Métis. However, certain elements of US legislation would greatly benefit from being adopted since they involve changes necessary for the establishment of effective repatriation processes (organization of collections, inclusion of traditional knowledge, etc.). In addition, certain indigenous legal elements could be implemented in the constitution of the repatriation process, which must be elaborated between equal parties.

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No / With pressures on time and resources available to those undertaking research in paleopathology, poorly preserved archaeological human remains can often receive limited attention or be completely excluded from the analysis of archaeological sites. Although incomplete skeletons often yield minimal demographic information and can complicate the diagnosis of some pathological conditions, this is not universal. Significant information can be obtained even in partial remains on metabolic bone diseases (where, by definition, the whole skeleton is involved), and for conditions such as osteoarthritis and fractures which can be diagnosed in isolation. We present an example of an incomplete skeleton that provided valuable new information on pathological changes associated with osteomalacia, a condition that has been little studied to date in paleopathology. This skeleton also contributes to our understanding of the factors surrounding the classification of fractures, and provides new insight into the full range of circumstances in which eburnation can develop. This example demonstrates the value of including partial and poorly preserved skeletons in paleopathological analysis and the extent of information that can be obtained.