Technologies Used in the exhibition

• CT Scans 

  • A non-invasive method of studying and examining artefacts and mummies. The remains and objects care scanned and from this 3D models or images can be created, therefore not disturbing or damaging the finds. 

  • Specific information that has been uncovered from the use of CT scans in relation to the remains of Nestawedjat where initially it was believed the remains were that of a man, however through the use of CT scans it was correctly identified that the remains do belong to a woman through examining the pelvis. Additionally through looking at the amount of wear on her joint it is estimated she would have been about 35-49 years old at her time of death.(1)

  • CT scans have uncovered a new way of studying remains and artefacts so archaeologists and historians can learn more about the lives and deaths of past humans.(1)

  • CT scans not only provide us with more information about human remains, but also as the different layers are striped away digitally we gain more insight into the placement of the organs as well as different amulets or jewels places on top of the bodies.(1) 

    • Specifically it was found that a metal plate with the eye of Horus was covering an incision, which is significant given the eye of Horus was seen as a symbol of healing.(1) Therefore more evidence of the importance of protecting the physical body for the afterlife.  

• The Future of CT scanning 

  • In the 40+ years CT scanning has been ​around there has been major improvement in the quality of images produced 

  • At the moment it is an expensive technology, hopefully in the future money will not be a barrier and CT scans could be portable to different dig sites and high quality images can instantly be made of all artefacts found.

• 3D printing

  • From 3D scanning objects and artefacts imagery can be created and from this 3D printed models have
    been created ​

  • These 3D printed models include the different amulets and jewels that were placed on the mummies
    bodies

  • Amazingly these models have quite clear detail, indicating had advanced CT scanning currently is to
    provide us wich such intricate replicas

• Imaging Techniques(2)

  • New imaging techniques have been used in studying pigments of mummy portraits​

  • From this study we now know more about the types of paints used, and hidden layers of the paintings. 

  • Specifically the technique of visible-induced infrared luminescence (VIL) has been used to discover and
    find 

• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)

  • The SEM uses a "beam of high energy electrons" on solid objects to determine microscopic information
    about different artefacts, allowing archaeologists to study magnified images of various objects

  • In the Egyptian Mummies exhibition this technique was used in the study of wood - the portraits were
    painted on, bread - grains and insects discovered in the bread.(2)

  • Strengths

    • Provide archaeologists with microscopic images, in the case of the Egyptian mummies exhibition it
      provids us with knowledge on the characteristics of bread discovered, as well as the bugs/insects
      found eating holes into the bread.(2)​

  • Limitations

    • There are parameters when using the SEM including the object has to be solid and fit (horizontally) 10 cm by (vertically) 4 cm in the microscope chamber.

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• Therefore as a result of these new technologies more has been discovered about the lives of humans in the past 

• Additionally through the way technology is currently improving it is a hope that future methods will be able to reveal what diseases people had, or certain causes of death that do not have physical symptoms. It is also a hope that CT scans will improve and eventually we will have better imagery, allowing archaeologist to read hieroglyphs that currently cannot be deciphered.(1)

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Ethical debate surrounding the study and display of human remains

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• The main concerns that arise from the display of human remains are the lack of consent and respect for the human beings the remains belong to. In recent years out of respect, indigenous bodies have been returned to indigenous groups in America, Australia and New Zealand. As a result of this the discussion has been raised about doing the same for prehistoric remains. 

• It is common for people to Justify or forgive the display of prehistoric remains, such those of mummies, because they are often not seen as human beings as they are so distant from our current civilisation and "immediate social relationships."

• Additionally measures have been put in place in certain museum which include:

  • "a warning to alert the public to the presence of human material, images of human material are not to be displayed online or used in publicity, human material is to be handled and stored separate from other objects, and direct physical contact with the remains is to be avoided."​

• However although these changes have been made, it still ignores the fundamental ethical issues of putting remains on display and out of their final resting places or country of origin. 

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• Through researching this topic it is clear that you only are provided with more questions, rather than answers. With so many different factors it is quite difficult to commit and take a stand on either side of the argument. What i have found, though, is that the main reason for jeopardising ethics to learn more about the past is for knowledge and learning more about our history as humans, which is completely valid. However when does this go too far? We can justify studying these remains, but I have found it is less justifiable to display human remains, especially in the case of Egyptian mummies where their final resting place and burial, was meant to be a place of protection of the flesh as the spirit ventured to the afterlife. It has been explicitly stated that the coffin and tomb are where a mummy is to be at rest for eternity, with the case representing the earth and the lid representing the sky.(1) However you read this in Australia and as the different parts of the coffin are placed around different rooms on display. 

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• It cannot be ignored that the study and display of human remains has significantly improved over the years, it can be seen in the methodologies used to examine remains. However although these measures have been put in place it still is not addressing the key ethical issues, instead glossing over them and masking new techniques as ethics

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From Brennan and Lazer Pompeii & Herculaneum: Interpreting the evidence(3)

• As of recent years it have come to the realisation of many that the display of human remains should be reconsidered, especially in relation to human remains that have been removed from tombs and/or countries. 

• As a result of new technologies, instead of displaying remains, holographic recreations have been made to stand in place of the actual human bodies - specifically in the case of the Tollund Man whose head was the only part preserved and displayed.

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HOWEVER you have to consider all we have discovered about ancient civilisation through analysing human remains. Without analysing the mummies we would know a whole lot less about the lives and deaths of ancient Egyptians, therefore can it be justified as we are continuing to tell their stories and learn more about their culture through studying their remains. Which raises the question/idea of is it okay to study remains, just not display them as entertainment for the masses. 

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QUESTIONS

(Hopefully these will be answered or addressed in the future.)

• Is there a difference between studying and displaying remains, such as mummies- where they were dug up specifically out of a burial, and human remains, such as otzi- which were stumbled upon?

• How long does it have to be after a culture is no longer present in society for it to be okay to study human remains?

• Who are the people that should make decisions on what happens to these human remains?

• After learning the significance of burial and protection for the afterlife to Ancient Egyptians, should mummies still be on display?

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Bibliography

• (3)Brian Brennan and Estelle Lazer, Pomepii And Herculaneum: Interpreting The Evidence, 1st ed. (Sydney: Ancient History Seminars, 2004).

• (2)Daniel Antoine, Marie Vandenbeusch and John Taylor. Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives. Ultimo: Museum of Applied Arts and Technology, 2016.

• D. Gareth Jones and Maja I Whittaker. ‘The contested realm of displaying dead bodies.’ Journal of Medical Ethics 39 (2013): 652-653. http://www.jstor.org.ipacez.nd.edu.au/stable/43282856?pq-origsite=summon&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

• Stephen Hughes. ‘CT Scanning in Archaeology.’ Computed Tomography - Special Applications, edited by Luca Saba. 57-70. Rijeka: Intech, 2011. on http://www.intechopen.com/books/computed-tomography-special-applications/ct-scanning-in-archaeolog

• Susan Swapp, "Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)", Geochemical Instrumentation And Analysis, 2017, http://serc.carleton.edu/research_education/geochemsheets/techniques/SEM.html.

• (1)Egyptian Mummy Exhibition Power House Museum 2017