CURATION APPENDIX A
CURATORIAL POLICY FOR HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINSMuseums and repositories are public trusts for the continued maintenance and longevity of collections under their care. Human skeletal remains are a source of valuable information on past human beings, cultures, and lifeways, and should be treated respectfully. It is imperative that human osteological collections be well-maintained, as bone is a very fragile material that requires special handling in order to maintain its stability and extend its longevity. Therefore, thoughtfulness and planning must go into the curation and management of human remains to insure their long-term preservation and considerate housing and handling. This policy of curatorial care follows the reasoning set forth in the CTA policy statement on the treatment of human remains; it addresses the maintenance of collections of human skeletal remains in museums and repositories.
Access to Collections
Access to human skeletal collections should be limited to very specific purposes, both for within-institution needs and outside requests. Such collections should be disturbed as little and as infrequently as possible; perusing collections for idle curiosity must be prohibited. Religious and spiritual concerns of identified and known descendant groups should be considered in the handling of the remains and in the use of destructive analytical methods.
The curator or person responsible for the human skeletal collection and the director or head of the institution should establish the criteria for legitimate research and develop a written procedure for evaluating requests for access to human skeletal collections. These persons should be responsible for authorizing access to and study of the human skeletal collections.
Applicant credentials should be checked carefully to insure that the person is qualified to conduct the proposed study or to use the material properly in teaching. A written research design should accompany a research access request. Analytical methods should be reviewed carefully and approved or disapproved based on how the method will affect the material and its long-term preservation. The destruction resulting from some analytical methods should be weighed against the information gained in determining whether or not the methods are to be approved.
Loans
Long-term research projects may require loans of human skeletal material over a period of time. If loans are allowed, standard museum loan procedures should be followed. Human skeletal collections must be loaned only to other institutions and not to private individuals. This material should be loaned for a specified period of time only to qualified researchers conducting approved research projects whose institutions have facilities, housing, and security which meet or exceed those of the lending institution. Proper handling and respectful treatment must be maintained, and the material should be returned promptly and in good condition.
Packaging of the loan material for transport should be by the most protective means possible, with each individual bone cushioned from stress and damage to itself and other bones in the container. The container should be sturdy and strong enough to withstand the strain and shock of transport and to protect the bones from the elements.
The mode of transport for loaned collections should be by the most secure and least damaging means possible, and should be determined by the lending institution for each situation. Hand and motor transport are encouraged, while mail-delivery is discouraged. Return of the loaned material should be by a similar or better mode than it was delivered.
Visual Documentation
Photographs and drawings of human skeletal remains are integral to the documentation of the material during discovery, disinterment, research, teaching, conservation, and curation. This visual documentation should be treated with the same respect and consideration as the skeletal remains themselves. Use of drawings and photographs of human skeletal remains in publications, programs, newspapers, and other public media should be governed by decorum, and should not be used merely to satisfy curiosity. Requests for reproduction of visual documentation should be treated in the same manner as requests for access to human skeletal collections. Reproduction rights are controlled by the curating institution and should be limited to specific purposes. A signed release form should be required which states the policy and rules governing the use of the visual documentation.
Replicas
Reproduction of human skeletal remains using non-destructive methods can be viewed as part of the documentation of the collection. Such replicas can be useful in teaching and for research purposes, and help to limit the frequency of handling of the original bones. The replicas should be treated with the same respect, care, and considerations as the original material, as they represent the human skeletal remains. Their use should be governed by decorum; they should not be used merely to satisfy curiosity. Requests to make reproductions or use them should be treated in the same manner as requests for access to the original human skeletal remains. Reproduction rights should be limited by the original institution and authorized only for a specified purpose. A signed release form should be required which states the policy and rules governing use of the replicas.
Climate Control
Control of the museum or repository environment is essential to the long-term preservation of osteological materials. During life, bone is a viscoelastic, dynamic material capable of sustaining great stresses. Upon death, bone begins to lose moisture and strength and to become brittle and fragile due to drying, the microenvironmental conditions of burial, and the circumstances and methods of exhumation. Dead bone is a hygroscopic material that absorbs and retains moisture under humid conditions. It is also susceptible to drying and cracking under excessively high or low temperatures. Human skeletal remains should be kept away from direct sunlight, hot light sources, ultraviolet lighting, ventilation or heat ducts, exterior walls, and cold windows. The internal building climate should be kept constant and temperature and humidity fluctuations should be avoided.
Lighting
Bone is moderately sensitive to light. Light can have damaging effects, as it influences temperature and humidity levels. Storage and processing areas should be separated. In storage areas, the light levels should be low and lights should be kept off as much as possible. Ultraviolet lighting should be avoided, or ultraviolet shields should be installed to protect the osteological material.
Biological Attack
Insects are attracted to the dirt that may be found on human skeletal remains; mold and mildew thrive in darkness on damp surfaces. These microorganisms will attack bones that are not cleaned properly and dried completely. Relative humidity should be controlled strictly in order to prevent conditions conducive to microorganism growth.
Cleaning
Because human skeletal remains are fragile and hygroscopic, bone should never be soaked in any cleaning agent, and it should be allowed to dry naturally after cleaning. Force-drying causes additional stress which can damage the bone.
Conservation
Bone in very fragile condition should be sent to an experienced conservator for treatment. In any conservation procedure, all work should be reversible both in the short-term and long-term.
Housing
Human skeletal remains should be housed in metal cabinets or acid-free/lignin-free boxes. The remains should be protected from degradation, crushing, environmental variation, and acid attack. The housing should allow for the creation and monitoring of microenvironments.
Associated Artifacts
Artifacts and other specimens often are found with human skeletal remains. These materials were placed or came to be associated with a human skeleton, and are significant by that association. Such materials should be housed in close proximity to the associated human skeleton; however, proper housing conditions also must be maintained for associated materials. If housing requirements for human skeletal materials and associated artifacts are incompatible, then the associated materials should be housed separately but nearby in the same room.
Exhibition
The dignity of individuals represented by human skeletal remains should be preserved at all times through proper care, housing, handling, and responsible research. On occasion, it may appear necessary to use human skeletal remains in public exhibits. Although exhibition generally is discouraged, if done, it should be executed with taste and great respect for the individual and in consideration of the religious or spiritual beliefs of identified or known descendant groups. Exhibits including human skeletal remains should lead the visitor to a greater understanding of different lifeways and to an appreciation of different peoples.
PROPOSED CURATORIAL GUIDELINES FOR HUMAN REMAINS
I. Climate Control
A. General Conditions
1. Keep temperature and humidity consistent; frequent fluctuations cause more damage than a too high/low condition that is consistent.
2. Keep bone material away from direct sunlight, ultraviolet light, hot light sources, ventilation or heat ducts, exterior walls, and windows.
B. Specific Conditions
1. Storage and exhibition temperature: 60° F±10°.
2. Storage and exhibition humidity: 50% RH±5%.
II. Lighting
A. General Conditions
1. Storage and work areas should be separate.
2. Avoid sunlight and spotlights.
B. Specific Conditions
1. Light level of no more than 150 lux (15 foot-candles).
2. Filtered light: use ultraviolet shields or sleeves with fluorescent fixtures.
III. Biological Attack
A. Bone must be completely dried after cleaning and before packaging and housing.
B. Relative humidity must be controlled to prevent mold and mildew.
C. Proper ventilation is necessary to insure air movement.
IV. Cleaning
A. Procedures for bone in good physical condition:
1. Dust or lightly brush off surface dirt.
2. Additional cleaning may make use of water, acetone, or a similar cleaning agent.
a. Dampen surface with a soft brush or cotton swab and rub gently.
b. Dry area with a clean cotton swab or soft cotton cloth.
c. Allow to dry naturally; use of blow dryers or heaters can cause additional stress and cracking.
d. Dry completely before storage.
B. Procedures for bone in poor physical condition:
1. Consult with a conservator.
V. Labeling
A. Catalog number should be small, located in an inconspicuous spot, and placed so as not to cover any distinctive feature.
B. Use a two-coat labeling system to insure reversibility while providing stability and imperviousness to moisture.
1. Never write directly on the bone.
2. Never use fingernail polish, white-out, or other such substance.
3. Apply a base coat of a clear acrylic or 20% PVA solution and allow to dry.
4. Use black india ink for the number; if the base is a dark color, use white india ink; allow to dry.
5. Cover the number with a top coat of clear acrylic or 20% PVA solution.
VI. Packaging
A. Bones should not be allowed to roll loosely, bump into each other, or be stacked on top of each other in their container.
B. Skeletal materials are not to be packaged or housed in acidic boxes or unsealed wooden drawers.
C. All packaging should be done with acid-free materials, lignin-free materials, or polyester/ polyethylene/ polypropylene materials.
D. Padding or a similar protective barrier should be used to protect individual bones within a larger container (box or drawer).
VII. Conservation
A. Adhesive: use a reversible mending agent such as PVA.
1. Coat the edges of the break with a 10% PVA solution and allow to dry.
2. Apply a 20-25% PVA solution as an adhesive to conjoin the pieces; allow to dry thoroughly.
B. Consolidant: use a reversible preservative such as PVA.
1. Apply a PVA solution from 1% to 10% depending on condition and porosity.
2. Allow to dry thoroughly.
3. Apply second (or more) treatment(s) if necessary, allowing thorough drying between treatments.
4. Conservation treatment records should be maintained as part of the documentation of the specimen.
C. Structural support
1. Coat edges of bone with a 20% PVA solution to protect bone and insure reversibility.
2. Infill with whiting (ground calcium carbonate) instead of plaster of paris.
VIII. Housing
A. Human skeletal material should be stored in metal cabinets or in acid free/lignin-free boxes on metal shelves. Metal cabinets are preferable because micro-environments can be created and the deleterious effects of light, dust, and biological attack controlled the most efficiently.
1. Drawers should be metal.
2. If wooden drawers are used, they must be sealed with a polyurethane, acrylic, or similar protective material to avoid acidic vapor attack.
B. Archival boxes housing the individual skeletons can be stored on open metal shelves or sealed wooden shelves.
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