https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240502/british-auction-house-withdraws-18-ancient-egyptian-skulls-from-sale-after-criticism-1066333333.html
British Auction House Withdraws 18 Ancient Egyptian Skulls From Sale After Criticism
British Auction House Withdraws 18 Ancient Egyptian Skulls From Sale After Criticism
Sputnik Africa
This week, the skulls of ten men, five women and three people of undetermined sex were up for sale on a British auction website with a guide price of... 02.05.2024, Sputnik Africa
2024-05-02T15:01+0200
2024-05-02T15:01+0200
2024-05-02T15:23+0200
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The British auction house Saleroom has withdrawn 18 ancient Egyptian human skulls from sale, according to the auction website, after the case reached the British Parliament.The move came after Bell Ribeiro-Addi, chair of the British all-party parliamentary group on African reparations, told the local media that the sale of human remains for any purpose should be banned, adding that such trade is a "gross violation of human dignity." A Saleroom spokesperson told the media that the items were authorized for sale in the UK and "are of archaeological and anthropological interest."The appearance of ancient Egyptian skulls as auction items has drawn criticism from some experts, who have called for a review of laws governing the sale of human remains.For instance, Dan Hicks, a British museum specialist, told the media that "it's quite a shocker" to see the skulls for sale and that it "sheds light on ethical standards in the art and antiques marketplace."Laura Van Broekhoven, the director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, noted that she hopes that "we would stop selling and commodifying human remains of communities that really have tried to have dignified ways of, and usually ritual ways, of dealing with their ancestors."The remains hail from the collection of Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers, a 19th-century British general who amassed a wide range of artifacts, from weapons to ceremonial objects and jewelry, as well as human remains.Some of the withdrawn items are more than 3,000 years old and date from 1550-1292 BC, brought from Thebes.
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240430/quite-a-shocker-british-auction-house-offers-18-human-skulls-from-ancient-egypt-1066306551.html
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British Auction House Withdraws 18 Ancient Egyptian Skulls From Sale After Criticism
15:01 02.05.2024 (Updated: 15:23 02.05.2024) This week, the skulls of ten men, five women and three people of undetermined sex were up for sale on a British auction website with a guide price of £200-£300, or about $250-$380.
The British auction house Saleroom has withdrawn 18 ancient Egyptian human skulls from sale, according to the auction website, after the case reached the British Parliament.
The move came after Bell Ribeiro-Addi, chair of the British all-party parliamentary group on African reparations, told the local media that the sale of human remains for any purpose should be banned, adding that such trade is a "gross violation of human dignity."
A Saleroom spokesperson told the media that the items were authorized 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 the wording of our policy," he said.
The appearance of ancient Egyptian skulls
as auction items has
drawn criticism from some experts, who have called for a review of laws governing the sale of human remains.
For instance, Dan Hicks, a British museum specialist, told the media that "it's quite a shocker" to see the skulls for sale and that it "sheds light on ethical standards in the art and antiques marketplace."
Laura Van Broekhoven, the director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, noted that she hopes that "we would stop selling and commodifying human remains of communities that really have tried to have dignified ways of, and usually ritual ways, of dealing with their ancestors."
The remains hail from the collection of Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers, a 19th-century British general who
amassed a wide range of artifacts, from weapons to ceremonial objects and jewelry, as well as human remains.
Some of the withdrawn items are more than 3,000 years old and date from 1550-1292 BC, brought from Thebes.
