ABSTRACT
This book provides a comprehensive examination of death, dying, and human remains in museums and heritage sites around the world.
Presenting a diverse range of contributions from scholars, practitioners, and artists, the book reminds us that death and the dead body are omnipresent in museum and heritage spaces. Chapters appraise collection practices and their historical context, present global perspectives and potential resolutions, and suggest how death and dying should be presented to the public. Acknowledging that professionals in the galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM) fields are engaging in vital discussions about repatriation and anti-colonialist narratives, the book includes reflections on a variety of deathscapes that are at the forefront of the debate. Taking a multivocal approach, the handbook provides a foundation for debate as well as a reference for how the dead are treated within the public arena. Most important, perhaps, the book highlights best practices and calls for more ethical frameworks and strategies for collaboration, particularly with descendant communities.
The Routledge Handbook of Museums, Heritage, and Death will be useful to all individuals working with, studying, and interested in curation and exhibition at museums and heritage sites around the world. It will be of particular interest to those working in the fields of heritage, museum studies, death studies, archaeology, anthropology, sociology, and history.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part 1|84 pages
Acquisition, Curation, and Conservation of the Dead
chapter 4|14 pages
Striking a Balance
chapter 5|13 pages
The Handling of the Remains of the Ancestors in Peru
part 2|82 pages
Displaying the Dead
chapter 7|9 pages
Education, Preservation and Reconciliation
chapter 12|11 pages
The Hollywood Museum of Death
part 3|97 pages
Decolonisation and Shifting the Perspective in Museums and Heritage
chapter 13|14 pages
Papuan Pasts
part 4|87 pages
Deathscapes and Heritage
chapter 19|17 pages
From Dead Places to Places of the Dead
chapter 23|11 pages
The Ghosts of Kūkai
chapter 24|13 pages
A Shadow Pandemic
part 5|67 pages
Public Education and Engagement in Museums and Heritage
part 6|76 pages
Death Studies and Heritage in Practice
chapter 33|13 pages
Close Encounters with Death and Disease
chapter 34|20 pages
The Use of CT Scan for the Construction of Mummy Replicas for Museography
part 7|5 pages
Concluding Remarks