Egypt
New Scientist (Jo Marchant)
- Book Review: Contesting Human Remains / Ethics And Burial Archaeology
Minerva Magazine Minerva currently has a review of two books looking at ethics and the handling of human remains. There have been discussions about the handling of mummified remains by museums. The debate at the Manchester Museum is a good example. In...
- Insights From Papyrus Research
Science Daily A University of Cincinnati-based journal devoted to research on papyri is due out Nov. 1. That research sheds light on an ancient world with surprisingly modern concerns: including hoped-for medical cures, religious confusion and the need...
- Teeth
Apologies for the lack of posts this week - I've had toothache. Two and a half years ago I had to go to the dentist to get a molar rebuilt. If I was sorry for myself then I am even sorrier for myself this week because I have had to have the same tooth...
- Interview: Five Questions To The Mummy Doctor
Discovery Magazine Pathologist Frank Rühli scaled back his medical practice in 2005 to pursue an obsession with mummies. Since then he has used advanced imaging to perform autopsies on the long-dead and has played a key role in investigating the mysterious...
- Donating Your Body For An Experiment In Mummification
Reality Wanted Here's hoping that this doesn't seriously offend anyone. Have you ever considered leaving behind a long lasting legacy by donating your body to science? If so, we are seeking someone who would like to be the subject of a scientific...
Egypt
Do Ancient Egyptians have a right to privacy?
New Scientist (Jo Marchant)
SHOULD we consider the privacy or reputation of the individual when analysing an Egyptian mummy? The assumption that ancient corpses are fair game for science is beginning to be challenged.
Though strict ethical guidelines apply to research on modern tissue samples, up until now there has been little discussion about work on ancient human remains. In a recent paper in the Journal of Medical Ethics (DOI: 10.1136/jme.2010.036608), anatomist Frank Rühli and ethicist Ina Kaufmann of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, argue that this is disturbing because research on mummies is invasive and reveals intimate information such as family history and medical conditions. And, of course, the subjects cannot provide consent.
"The human body, alive or dead, has a moral value," says Rühli, who is himself involved in mummy research. He says that no matter how old a body is, researchers must balance the benefits of their research against the potential rights and desires of the deceased individual.
- Book Review: Contesting Human Remains / Ethics And Burial Archaeology
Minerva Magazine Minerva currently has a review of two books looking at ethics and the handling of human remains. There have been discussions about the handling of mummified remains by museums. The debate at the Manchester Museum is a good example. In...
- Insights From Papyrus Research
Science Daily A University of Cincinnati-based journal devoted to research on papyri is due out Nov. 1. That research sheds light on an ancient world with surprisingly modern concerns: including hoped-for medical cures, religious confusion and the need...
- Teeth
Apologies for the lack of posts this week - I've had toothache. Two and a half years ago I had to go to the dentist to get a molar rebuilt. If I was sorry for myself then I am even sorrier for myself this week because I have had to have the same tooth...
- Interview: Five Questions To The Mummy Doctor
Discovery Magazine Pathologist Frank Rühli scaled back his medical practice in 2005 to pursue an obsession with mummies. Since then he has used advanced imaging to perform autopsies on the long-dead and has played a key role in investigating the mysterious...
- Donating Your Body For An Experiment In Mummification
Reality Wanted Here's hoping that this doesn't seriously offend anyone. Have you ever considered leaving behind a long lasting legacy by donating your body to science? If so, we are seeking someone who would like to be the subject of a scientific...