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Among the Dead and Their Possessions: A Conservator's Role in the Death, Life, and Afterlife of Human Remains and Their Associated Objects

2009; Routledge; Volume: 48; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1179/019713612804514224

1945-2330

Sanchita Balachandran,

Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation

AbstractAbstractThis paper argues that conservators working on human remains preserve not only the physical remnants of a once-living body, but also the traces of the narratives of a human life and its afterlife. The author examines the conservator's ethical and moral obligations to the dead and their associated artifacts, and considers the conservator's role in both dehumanizing remains into mere "objects," and in rehumanizing such "objects." These issues are explored in relation to the conservation of the remains of three specific individuals and their possessions: an ancient Egyptian female mummy now in a museum in the United States, an ancient Egyptian child excavated on an archaeological site, and a beatified Catholic nun's relics and bone fragment. The author recounts her personal interactions with these three individuals to argue that the traditionally detached, technical role of the conservator may be inappropriate or inadequate when preserving both the tangible and intangible aspects of human remains. The paper suggests that even minimal and mundane conservation practices can take on invasive qualities or new ritual significance when performed on human remains, and that respectful conservation treatments elicit an empathy for, and emotional response to, the remains themselves. TÍTULO—Entre os mortos e suas posses: o papel de um restaurador na morte, na vida e na vida depois da morte de restos humanos e objetos associados RESUMO—Este trabalho argumenta que os restauradores que trabalham com restos humanoss preservam nao somente os restos fisicos do que foi algum dia um corpo vivo, mas tamb´em os rastros da narrativa de uma vida humana e sua vida ap ´os a morte. O autor examina as obrigaç oes ´eticas e morais com o morto e objetos a ele associados, e considera o papel que desempenha o restaurador tanto na desumanizaçao dos restos mortais para transforma-los em simples "objetos" quanto na re-humanizaçao de tais "objetos". Estes temas sao explorados em relaçao `a restauraçao dos restos de tres indivduos espećıficos e suas posses: uma m ´umia eǵıpcia antiga de uma mulher atualmente em um museu nos Estados Unidos, uma criança eǵıcpia antiga escavada em um śıtio arqueol ´ogico, e as reĺıquias e fragmentos de ossos de uma freira cat ´olica beatificada. O autor relata suas interaç oes pessoais com estes tres indivduos para concluir que o papel tradicionalmente impessoal e técnico do restaurador pode ser impr ´oprio ou indequado quando se preservam tanto os aspectos tanǵıveis quanto intanǵıveis de restos humanos. Este trabalho sugere que ainda as pŕaticas mais simples e mundanas de restauraçao podem adquirir qualidades invasivas ou novos significados rituaĺısticos ao serem praticadas sobre corpos humanos, e que os tratamentos de restauraçao respeitosos produzem uma empatia e uma resposta emocional para com os restos mortais em si.This paper argues that conservators working on human remains preserve not only the physical remnants of a once-living body, but also the traces of the narratives of a human life and its afterlife. The author examines the conservator's ethical and moral obligations to the dead and their associated artifacts, and considers the conservator's role in both dehumanizing remains into mere "objects," and in rehumanizing such "objects." These issues are explored in relation to the conservation of the remains of three specific individuals and their possessions: an ancient Egyptian female mummy now in a museum in the United States, an ancient Egyptian child excavated on an archaeological site, and a beatified Catholic nun's relics and bone fragment. The author recounts her personal interactions with these three individuals to argue that the traditionally detached, technical role of the conservator may be inappropriate or inadequate when preserving both the tangible and intangible aspects of human remains. The paper suggests that even minimal and mundane conservation practices can take on invasive qualities or new ritual significance when performed on human remains, and that respectful conservation treatments elicit an empathy for, and emotional response to, the remains themselves. TITRE—Parmi les morts et leurs possessions: les vestiges humains et objets fuńeraires assocíes et l'impact de la restauration sur des concepts immatériels tels que la mort, la vie, et la vie après la mort RÉSUMÉE— Cet article soutient la thèse que le restaurateur travaillant sur des vestiges humains permet non seulement la pŕeservation physique de corps autrefois vivants, mais aussi des indices `a propos de la vie de ces personnes et de ce qui s'en est suivi après la mort. L'auteure examine les obligations morales et déontologiques du restaurateur face aux morts et à leurs objets fuńeraires, ainsi que l'apport du restaurateur soit dans la éshumanisation des vestiges humains, réifíes en simples 'objets', soit dans la réhumanisation de tels 'objets'. L'auteure explore ces questions dans le cadre de la conservation de trois cas spécifiques de vestiges humains et de leurs biens fuńeraires: une femme momifíee de l' ´ Egypte ancienne se trouvant maintenant dans un muśee aux ´ Etats-Unis; un enfant de l' ´ Egypte ancienne provenant d'une fouille archéologique; et les reliques et ossements d'une religieuse catholique béatifíee. L'auteure relate son expérience personnelle dans ces trois cas pour en venir `a la conclusion que l'approche traditionnelle, détachée et technique, du restaurateur n'est peut-etre pas appropríee ou adéquate lorsqu'on veut pŕeserver les aspects immatériels, ainsi que matériels, des vestiges humains. Cet article fait la démonstration que, lorsqu'il s'agit de vestiges humains, meme des pratiques de conservation considérées comme minimalistes ou routinìeres peuvent avoir des conśequences envahissantes ou prendre un aspect presque rituel. Une approche respectueuse lors de la mise en uvre de traitements sur des vestiges humains implique donc une sensibilité et empathie envers ces vestiges memes. TITULO—Entre los muertos y sus posesiones: el papel de un conservador en la muerte, la vida y la vida despúes de la muerte de los restos RESUMEN— Este trabajo sostiene que los conservadores que trabajan con restos humanos preservan no solamente los restos fisicos de lo que fue alguna vez un cuerpo vivo, sino tambíen los rastros de la narrativa de una vida humana y su vida despúes de la muerte. El autor examina las obligaciones ´eticas y morales con el muerto y los objetos asociados, y considera el papel que juega el conservador tanto en la deshumanizaci ´on de los restos para convertirlos en "objetos" simplemente, para luego volver a humanizar tales "objetos". Estos temas son explorados en relaci ´on con la conservaci ´on de los restos de tres individuos espećıficos, y sus posesiones: una momia egipcia antigua de una mujer que ahora esta en un museo de los EEUU, un ni no egipcio antiguo excavado en un sitio arqueol ´ogico, y las reliquias y fragmentos de hueso de una monja cat ´olica beatificada. El autor relata sus interacciones personales con estos tres individuos, para concluir que el papel tradicionalmente impersonal y técnico del conservador puede ser inapropiado o inadecuado cuando se preservan tanto los aspectos tangibles como intangibles de los restos humanos. Este trabajo sugiere que a ´un las mas mínimas y corrientes practicas de conservaci ´on pueden adquirir cualidades invasivas o nuevos significados ritualisticos al ser practicada sobre cuerpos humanos, y que los tratamientos de conservaci ´on respetuosos producen una empatia y una repuesta emocional hacia los restos mismos.