Nicht die Toten, sondern die Lebenden: Menschliche Überreste als Bodenfunde

Abstract

The discussion about human remains in the hands of archaeologists is a topic of growing awareness in Germany. During the last years it came more and more into the focus. The arguments range widely: the assumed will of the deceased, their rights as well as scientific interests and the interests of museums. Often these arguments aim in contrary directions. They seem to rather mirror the interests of the authors of these texts than to aim for a socially adequate handling of the interests and feelings of those people involved. The author therefore argues to use the interests of the contemporary living as a standard for handling archaeological human remains, not any assumed interests of the deceased.