The State Museums of Culture begin to withdraw human remains from their rooms, including the Mummy Guanche del Man

The state museums of the Ministry of Culture, managed by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Fine Arts, have published on Monday the ‘Letter of Commitment on the Ethical Treatment of Human Remains’, which agrees the withdrawal of the human remains that They stay in their rooms, among which the Guanche mummy of the National Archaeological Museum (MAN) stands out.

Culture sources assure Europa Press that museum entities have “almost 15,000” human remains, from bodies to hairs, teeth or bone fragments. Of the almost 15,000 remains, culture clarifies that the “majority” are in warehouses and not exposed.

The decision, they point out from the department, obeys the technical report on the treatment of human remains deposited in the state museums, which the administration of Ernest Urtasun commissioned upon arrival, and that the institutions “have been applying the recommendations for weeks”.

In this way, as they add from culture, the evolution and adaptation of the museum collections, in line with the deontological code of the International Museum Council (ICOM), is responded.

The letter of commitment, to which Europa Press has had access, is erected as a “deontological document of good practices” and highlights the evolution in the conceptualization of the human remains preserved in museum institutions, when moving from an “exclusive” consideration as objects to be recognized as “vestiges of deceased people who were separated from their funeral, sacred or domestic context.”

The document explains that all physical remains that can be assigned to the Homo Sapiens species are understood as human remains, including “complete bodies or parts of these, without transforming, transformed or preserved.” However, they are excluded from this letter to the remains or body parts such as hair, nails or teeth in which it can be determined “reasonably that they have been freely offered or naturally or intentionally detached from the body without modifying it.”

In general, state museums will attend as a general principle “the non -public exhibition of human remains”, although “public exposure could be valued” when “this is essential to convey the knowledge that is intended to be shown.” “Whenever there is no other alternative in the exhibition discourse and are correctly documented and contextualized, knowing their private origin and history,” says the document, which adds that in those cases they will be shown with respect, care and dignity.

Likewise, they undertake that all treatment and restoration, to which the principles of minimum intervention and reversibility will apply, as well as sampling (destructive and non -destructive), “will be duly justified, avoiding any procedure that can contaminate the human remains “. As for the manipulation, the letter indicates that it will be taken into account the mandatory measures “to guarantee the safety and health of both the technical personnel in charge and of any other person to which access to them is allowed.”

On the investigation processes, the document indicates that any investigation must be authorized by the museum from a duly justified application. In this sense, special care will be taken in avoiding the duplications of similar studies on the same remains and the content of said commitment letter must be met.

Finally, the taking of images must be approved by museums; Possible new income will not be accepted, in general terms.

Guanche mummy

One of the human remains that have retired this Monday is the Mummy Guanche del Man, where it was exhibited since 2015. The Guanche mummy is unique for its state of conservation and comes from the ravine of Erques (Tenerife).

The Canarian Coalition spokeswoman (CC) in the Congress of Deputies, Cristina Valid ‘cultural decolonization’ process.

In this regard, the sources of culture consulted have not spoken and have assured that the Guanche mummy will stay from now on in the museum stores. In addition, they explain that the Museum of America or the National Museum of Roman Art are other state institutions that have retired human remains.