#PeaceforFriedrichBrandt and the debate on displaying human remains

The remains of a soldier, widely believed to be 23-year-old hunchback, Private Friedrich Brandt from Hanover, Germany, have been the centre of debate amongst historians lately.

The skeleton of the man who died during the Battle of Waterloo 200 years ago is currently on display in a Belgium museum as part of a commemorative exhibition after having been found under a car park near the battlefield in 2012.

Campaigners, including many military historians and archaeologists, are calling for the remains to be reinterred with the “dignity and respect [of a] proper burial that has been denied him for so long.” German historian, Rob Schäfer, who has created a Facebook and a change.org page in order to petition and raise awareness about the controversy surrounding Private Brandt’s remains, has stated that: “It is accepted that his remains should be studied for serious archaeological purposes but, after the data has been collected, the man should be allowed to rest in peace, instead of being viewed as a morbid object of curiosity by thousands of paying tourists - particularly when in an enlightened and technologically advanced world it is perfectly possible to laser scan the remains and produce a 3D replica for display.”

Tony Pollard, historian, archaeologist and Editor of Journal of Conflict Archaeology, tweeted: “He was a soldier. He died in battle. He deserves a grave. End of.” Comedian and keen historian, Al Murray, also contributed to the debate by tweeting: “#PeaceforFriedrichBrandt this soldier's bones shouldn't be on display, he should be at rest.”

Those in opposition to this campaign have made reference to the display of Egyptian Mummies and Bog Bodies to support the exhibition of Private Brandt’s remains. The Memorial has defended the exhibit, stating that “ultimately, it seemed to everybody that the greatest homage that could be paid to him was to consider him, with the respect to which he is entitled and that the museum exhibit has sought to ensure.”  

Should the remains of Friedrich Brandt be given a proper burial? Is there a gain to keeping his bones as part of a commemorative exhibition? Let us know your thoughts.

Read more about the human remains in museum collections in these two free articles from Public Archaeology:

The ethics of displaying human remains from British archaeological sites

The Value of Human Remains in Museum Collections 

Guest Post: Speaking up for Archaeology

In this special guest post, Dave Moore, Communications Officer of The Council for British Archaeology discusses the Council's important mission, and explains how you can get involved and receive a special offer for British Archaeology Magazine. 

"The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) has been the independent champion for archaeology in the UK for over 70 years, speaking up for archaeology in public debates and bringing the excitement of the subject to an increasingly large and enthusiastic audience including young people.

In fact it is hard to imagine archaeology in the UK today without the CBA. Since its founding in 1944, the CBA has led the way with ground breaking projects and innovative resources, sharing research, knowledge, and opening up archaeology to new generations and new audiences. Above all, the CBA and its partners have worked tirelessly to represent the interests of everyone who cares about the UK’s rich archaeology heritage and the future of our discipline.

The CBA’s campaigning role is more vital now than ever, with increasing threats to our archaeological heritage from development pressures and the effects of funding cuts on archaeology practice in the UK. Many archaeologists argue that we are at risk of losing all that we have gained over the past 70 years.

You can help us continue our vital programmes to safeguard the UK’s archaeology and provide Archaeology for All next year and in years to come by becoming a member of the CBA. In return our members receive British Archaeology Magazine 6 times per year, plus our regular newsletter and e-news, keeping you up to date with archaeology projects, events and campaigns. As a specialist interest group, we negotiate special offers for our members such as discounts on outdoor gear and archaeology publications. Most importantly, we offer great opportunities to experience archaeology through our networks, local CBA Groups and Young Archaeologists’ Clubs.

Maney subscribers also benefit from an extra copy of British Archaeology Magazine
 in your first year when you join the CBA (that’s 7 copies for the price of 6). To benefit from this special offer, join now online or call the CBA team on 01904 671 417 quoting 'Maney0315'. 

Find out more about how the CBA is supporting Britain’s archaeology at: www.archaeologymatters.org.uk"

Community Archaeology Project Uncovers Colonial Life

This week, an important archaeology project gets underway in Northampton, Massachusetts, and community members are rolling up their sleeves to help.

Citizens of the small New England town have been invited to participate in "Digging Northampton," a community excavation project at the historic Parsons House on Bridge Street, from May 19 through June 6. 

Archaeology graduate students from the University of Massachusetts are heading up the project. They've recruited nearby neighbors as well as children from local schools to help uncover, clean, and keep detailed records of the artifacts. Linda Zeigenbein of the Archaeological Services at UMass told local news source MassLive.com she's not sure what will be discovered during the dig, but she's hopeful to get some insight into how Colonial women and children survived when the town was first established, and resources were scarce. 

Parsons House was built in 1719, and is scheduled for a major rehabilitation in the coming years. But historical preservation restrictions require that all artifacts are removed from the grounds before a new foundation is laid. The team will pay special attention to the the ground beneath the home's original kitchen, where they may discover animal bones discarded while cooking, crockery and more. 

For Zeigenbien, the most important part of the project is engaging the community in this important period of history. "My interest is creating people who want to be stewards of historic sites, "she explained. "The way to get this is to bring people in to see how important the work is." 

The public can take guided tours of Parsons House and check out the excavation project May 23rd, May 30th, and June 6th from 10am to 2pm. To learn more about this project and find out how you can get involved, visit the Digging Northampton blog. 

If you're interested in community archaeology and North American excavation sites, browse these articles: 

New Ethical Statements on Site Preservation for North American Archaeologists 

Community Archaeology: General Methods and Standards of Practice >

Guest Post: Abigail Taylor, current holder of the Maney Publishing and Durham University archaeology studentship

In this special guest post, Abigail Taylor discusses her work on the royal images of the 25th Dynasty Nubian rulers of Egypt 

"Hello everyone, my name is Abigail Taylor and I am a PhD student at Durham University, where I am being kindly supported in my study by Maney Publishing. My research investigates the use and abuse of images of the royal family in the 25^th Dynasty and early Napatan period in Egypt and Nubia.

During the 8^th Century BC Egypt came under the control of its southern neighbours from Nubia, a land seen traditionally as a rival and enemy, to be ruled by a line of kings as the 25^th Dynasty for about a century. Following a number of brutal military campaigns backed by the Assyrian Empire, the Nubian kings were pushed out of Egypt and a new ruling house based in the Delta capital of Sais rose to power. In the following years many of the images and inscriptions of the 25^th Dynasty Pharaohs were subjected to acts of iconoclasm and damnatio memoriae, with later parties defacing, attacking and mutilating representations of the Nubian kings.

Such actions were a common way to symbolically attack and seek to discredit a rival in Ancient Egypt, and were a political message to taint the memory of the old and highlight the power of the new regime. Iconoclasm is usually an action taken against religious icons, images and monuments that are motivated by political and religious change. Damnatio memoriae is also a destructive technique commonly used against statues, images and monuments to publicly attack images and send a powerful message about new political realities, to ritually punish, express power, and is always an expression of the current social and political feeling of the time.

In my project I am seeking to examine the large corpus of royal imagery for these Nubian kings, to identify the treatments they have been subjected to in later years, in order to ascertain the nature of the actions taken against them following their removal from rule. I hope that this work will enable me to draw conclusions that will further understanding of how the political, economic and social situations between these two respective territories could have influenced actions and attitudes towards royal imagery in general, and in particular towards these Nubian rulers who were of a foreign origin.

Echoes in modern history

Cases of image destruction are not only limited to antiquity. We are constantly surrounded by the physical evidence of the maiming of images, caught in the crossfire as they clash with different powers and ideologies, who use the destruction of an image to express ideological and political messages. In recent years we have seen various examples come to light across news channels the world over. An image I will never forget was when the troops toppled Saddam Hussein's statue during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and most recently in 2015 we have also witnessed evidence for Assyrian statues being smashed at the Mosul Museum and the destruction of the ancient UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Khorsabad, Nimrud and Hatra by aggressors in the Middle East. Modern actions and events can be seen to have precedents and echoes throughout history, and this is something that in my opinion makes archaeology a discipline and subject that is so relevant and important in unraveling the history of human cultures."

Durham University is currently accepting applications for the 2015 scholarship, which includes full fees for three years and an annual £3,000 stipend. Ideal candidates will be undertaking doctoral studies in the archaeology of the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean. Interested applicants should apply no later than June 30th. 

For more information, please see our press release >

Free Access 14: Over 20,000 articles free to read

Now through April 26th, ALL online content, including 2015 issues for every single journal we publish in archaeology, conservation and heritage is 100 percent free to download. No sign ups, no registration, no strings attached: just free content from us to you. 

Free Access 14 (FA14) is our way of showing our appreciation for the amazing community of scholars and researchers who are dedicated to advancing knowledge in this exciting, ever-changing field. 

FA14 gives you access to research in 18 subject areas, including underwater archaeology, museum studies, field archaeology, conservation and more. The archives date back over 100 years to 1869. Click here to dig in and start enjoying your free content. 

Some of the most popular journals featured in this special promotion include: 

• Medieval Archaeology
• Studies in Conservation
• Museums & Social Issues 
• Environmental Archaeology
• Levant 
• European Journal of Archaeology
• Journal of Field Archaeology 

We're also excited to include some of our new titles for 2015: 

• AICCM Bulletin
• PaleoAmerica
• Southeastern Archaeology

Tired of all the free content? We didn't think so. You can enter to win online subscriptions to all 43 of our journals for an entire year when you Tweet using the hashtag #idigthisjournalbecause and mention @ManeyArchaeo 

Just let us know what makes your favorite journal so special, and you could be rich in archaeological research! Three runners up will also win an online subscription for the journal of their choice for a full year.