The Public Archaeology of Death - Howard Williams
Controversy Surrounding Human Remains from the First World War
The Public Archaeology of Death - Howard Williams
Sam Munsch [+]
University of Exeter (MSc student)
Sam Munsch graduated with an Archaeology degree from the University of Chester in 2016. He studied for an MSc in Forensic Anthropology at the University of Exeter.
Description
With the recent passing of the First World War’s centenary years, and the development of conflict archaeology into a widespread professional branch of the discipline, interest in human remains associated with First World War battlefields has rapidly increased. With this rising interest, a parallel growth in controversy surrounds ethical practice in conflict archaeology, particularly in relation to human remains. This paper aims to review how both the media and political groups exploit the remains of deceased individuals retrieved from First World War battlefields in the formation of selective narratives and commemorative strategies.