A UK MP’s appeal against the sale of 18 ancient Egyptian human skulls at an auction house has caused the items to be withdrawn. The MP argued that selling the human skulls would contribute to the continuation of colonialism’s atrocities. Semley Auctioneers in Dorset had listed the skulls of 10 men, five women, and three individuals of unspecified gender. Each lot had a guide price of £200-300.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Afrikan reparations, believes the sale of human skulls is “a gross violation of human dignity”. He says: “This despicable trade perpetuates a dark legacy of exploitation, colonialism and dehumanisation. It is a gross violation of human dignity and an affront to the memory of those whose lives were unjustly taken, or whose final resting places were desecrated. We cannot allow profit to be made from the exploits of those who often hoped to find evidence for their racist ideology.
It is imperative that we take decisive action to end such practices and ensure that the remains of those who were stolen from their homelands are respectfully repatriated.” The collection was first acquired by Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt-Rivers, a British soldier and archaeologist from the Victorian era. In 1884, he established the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford where the collection is currently housed. The collection consists of various skulls, with some of them originating from Thebes and dating back to the period of 1550-1292 BC.
These artefacts formed part of the second collection of Pitt Rivers, which he exhibited in a private museum located on his estate in Farnham, Dorset. After Augustus’s death, some items from his collection were sold by his grandson, George Pitt Rivers. However, it’s worth noting that George was later interned by the British government during World War II for his support of fascist leader Oswald Mosley. According to Professor Dan Hicks, who serves as the curator of world archaeology at the Pitt Rivers Museum, there were certain skulls being sold that had phrenological measurements inscribed by Augustus Pitt Rivers.
Phrenology evolved from the 19th-century and is a pseudoscience that involves the measurement of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits. Its proponents used this to justify slavery and white dominance.In the UK, there are stringent rules governing the handling, storage, and exhibition of human remains. However, it is permissible for individuals to own, purchase, and sell human body parts as long as they were acquired legally and are not intended for transplant purposes, only for decorative purposes. A Saleroom spokesperson said: “These items are legal for sale in the UK and are of archaeological and anthropological interest. However, after discussion with the auctioneer we have removed the items while we consider our position and wording of our policy.”
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