Human remains held by councils
Case reference FOI2024/01568
Received 17 September 2024
Published 3 October 2024
Request
Questions: 1. How many individual items of human remains are recorded on a database, list or other overview of the current holdings of the council's collections and museums?
1.1 Does this figure include items on loan to the council's collections and museums? (Please answer yes or no.)
1.2. If it does, how many of these items are loaned to the collection and/or museum? 1.3. Does this figure include items loaned to other institutions? (Please answer yes or no.)
1.4 If it does, how many of these items are on loan to other institutions?
2. Which of the following types of human remains are held in your collections? Please answer yes or no to each:
2.1 Skeletons (whole and partial)
2.2 Bones (whole and fragments)
2.3 Skulls (whole and partial)
2.4 Skin
2.5 Hair and scalps
2.6 Nails
2.7 Other body parts
2.8 Mummified remains
2.9 ‘Modified’ or composite items, such as handmade artefacts that include human remains.
3. According to your records, how many of these items originate from the UK?
3.1 Of these items, how many are clearly evidenced as having come from archaeological excavations in the UK?
4. According to your records, how many of these items originate from outside of the UK?
4.1 Of these items, how many are clearly evidenced as having come from archaeological excavations from outside of the UK?
5. Are there further human remains currently in council's collection/s that are not currently recorded on a collection database or other inventory? (Please answer yes or no.)
5.1 If so, how many items are not currently in the collection/s database?
6. How many of the total number of human remains currently held or cared for by the council are clearly recorded as having provenance from specific continents? Please provide the number of items from:
6.1 Europe
6.2 Asia
6.3 Africa
6.4 North America
6.5 South America
6.6 Oceania
6.7 Continent unknown
7. Has the council or any of its museums/collections ever undertaken a formal or informal review, assessment, audit or review of its current holdings of human remains, and/or of their storage, documentation and provenance? Please answer yes or no.
8. How many requests for the return, restitution or repatriation of human remains have you received from outside of the UK over the past five financial years?
Please provide the data for each year and the five year total.
2019-20:
2020-21:
2021-22:
2022-23:
2023-24:
Total:
8.1 How many items have been returned to their country of origin as a result of these requests? Please provide the data for each year and the five year total.
2019-20:
2020-21:
2021-22:
2022-23:
2023-24:
Response
1. How many individual items of human remains are recorded on a database, list or other overview of the current holdings of the council's collections and museums?
62 – 70 individuals
1.1 Does this figure include items on loan to the council's collections and museums? (Please answer yes or no.)
No
1.2. If it does, how many of these items are loaned to the collection and/or museum?
N/A
1.3. Does this figure include items loaned to other institutions? (Please answer yes or no.)
No
1.4 If it does, how many of these items are on loan to other institutions?
N/A
2. Which of the following types of human remains are held in your collections? Please answer yes or no to each:
2.1 Skeletons (whole and partial) – Yes
2.2 Bones (whole and fragments) – Yes
2.3 Skulls (whole and partial) – Yes
2.4 Skin – No
2.5 Hair and scalps – No
2.6 Nails – No
2.7 Other body parts – No
2.8 Mummified remains – No
2.9 ‘Modified’ or composite items, such as handmade artefacts that include human remains – No
3. According to your records, how many of these items originate from the UK?
All material originates from the UK.
3.1 Of these items, how many are clearly evidenced as having come from archaeological excavations in the UK?
All material originates from archaeological excavation in the UK.
4. According to your records, how many of these items originate from outside of the UK?
Zero
4.1 Of these items, how many are clearly evidenced as having come from archaeological excavations from outside of the UK?
Zero
5. Are there further human remains currently in council's collection/s that are not currently recorded on a collection database or other inventory? (Please answer yes or no.)
Yes
5.1 If so, how many items are not currently in the collection/s database?
number of boxes or roughly individuals.
10 individuals
6. How many of the total number of human remains currently held or cared for by the council are clearly recorded as having provenance from specific continents?
Please provide the number of items from:
6.1 Europe - 0
6.2 Asia - 0
6.3 Africa – 0
6.4 North America – 0
6.5 South America – 0
6.6 Oceania – 0
6.7 Continent unknown – 0
7. Has the council or any of its museums/collections ever undertaken a formal or informal review, assessment, audit or review of its current holdings of human remains, and/or of their storage, documentation and provenance? Please answer yes or no.
Yes
8. How many requests for the return, restitution or repatriation of human remains have you received from outside of the UK over the past five financial years? Please provide the data for each year and the five year total.
2019-20: 0
2020-21: 0
2021-22: 0
2022-23: 0
2023-24: 0
Total: 0
8.1 How many items have been returned to their country of origin as a result of these requests? Please provide the data for each year and the five year total.
2019-20: 0
2020-21: 0
2021-22: 0
2022-23: 0
2023-24: 0
Total: 0
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.