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Salvete!
I went to the museum here in Berlin once again last week and a thought crossed my mind and I'd like to hear your opinions.
First of all, I'm a student of ancient history and I know the importance of examining the things found. I also think it is important to examine human remains to learn more about the past. but there is one thing I dislike.
In the museum they had some finds from Kalkriese, including some human bones and a skull. As I said I think it's necessary to examine human remains to learn more about lifestyle, wounds, whatever but do they all have to be displayed? It is something different if it is a biological exhibition where they show prepared remains of people who agreed to be used for such things after death. But do they really need to show the scattered bones of a soldier who died and was burried on a battlefield?
Don't get me wrong, it's not a religious thing, I just think it's unnecessary and not very polite towards the dead. Same thing, or even worse, was when I saw a documentary last time about the pharaos. There as well I asked myself. I mean, great that we can examine them but is it necessary to have the son of a god displayed naked behind glass? Wouldn't it be ok to show 1 mummy or a reconstruction of how they were prepared and burried. They can show the mask of Tutankhamon but why his body naked wrapped in a piece of cloth?
When I think about such things I'm happy they didn't find Alexander. The thought of the great Makedonian king and son of Zeus lying naked behind a piece of glass in the museum in Kairo is not very nice imho.
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[Micha F.]
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First of all, I'm thinking of moving this to OT because it's bigger, culturally speaking, than the Roman empire, both in time as well as geography.
To answer your question, it depend on how the items are show, with taste or not. I mean, I’m less bothered with son of kings being seen as son of gods, 4000 years ago, and now being museum objects. THAT, I think, depends on the individuals on the other side of the glass – do THEY see the person in the glass case as a son of a god or not? If not, then why should we even discuss that – I mean, he was a person, that should be enough to treat his remains with respect, his erstwhile status does not matter to me personally one bit.
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I do agree that the former status doesn't really make a difference but I think on the other hand it is a famous king, known for his buildings, deeds, whatever and now lies there as a dried out, naked corpse. If they'd place them in their ornaments at least.
P.S. Sorry for posting this here, I too think it would be better in the OT forum. Didn't think about it until I had already posted it as I don't visit the OT too often. sorry
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[Micha F.]
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Quote:I don't visit the OT too often. sorry
You should, you know.. :wink:
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OT is a good place! 
True, I understand your reservations about displaying the dead, but there is sometimes a need to show the public that life and death have a place in learning! If a skeleton shows obvious signs of the cause of death, and this is expalained in detail, it is a good reminder of the pains of war.....
often today, just seeing things glossed over anethasize our senses!IMHO
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
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Byron Angel
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When you're dead you're dead, and there are no relations left to get upset about it. But, I do find it very macabre. RMC2 has a photo of a leg still in a legging which, I must admit, kind of 'surprised' me.
I tend to not linger, or just walk past such displays, I must admit. Doesn't feel right :? I'd have to be forced kicking and screaming into one of Gunther von Hagens's exhibitions, and then strapped to a chair with my eyes pinned open. It just gives me the creeps, but I'm not passing judgement either.
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It doesn't bother me...once the person is dead, it's just meat and bones left. To quote yoda..."luminescent beings are we...not this crude mater."
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Magnus/Matt
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Quote:To quote yoda..."luminescent beings are we...not this crude mater."
Oh YES, my massster!
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As it should be, my apprentice! :lol:
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D D lol:
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Hmm this is the 21st century. Can they show digital reconstructions and let the dead rest in peace?
Kind regards
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They can, or maybe exact copies. A thing to consider, indeed.
It would mean of course, that the actual bodies are still in dusty cupboards, and some think that an honourabl;e display does them more right than just being science objects..
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Yeah! From what I hear, most of the truly interesting stuff, (note technical term) is laying in cupboards and secret exhibits in museums around the world! The Truth is too inflammatory for our sensitive eyes I guess! :lol:
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
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Quote:Yeah! From what I hear, most of the truly interesting stuff, (note technical term) is laying in cupboards and secret exhibits in museums around the world! The Truth is too inflammatory for our sensitive eyes I guess! :lol:
Sad but true :!:
Kind regards
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There's a lot to be learned from bones, though most people wouldn't appreciate that without being told. Physical anthropologists fight all the time over this stuff, who owns it, where it was found. Roman bone remains are extremely rare, so these are probably more valuable to science than the other artifacts.
In the Smithsonian for the longest time there was a corpse that had turned to soap on display: the fellow had died in American colonial period in Philadelphia, around 1780. (actually saw him on History channel last night: secrets of the Smithsonian) The Smithsonian keeps some 35,000 sets of bones in neat green drawers, which means 35,000 people. These are definitely *not* secret. I venture to say the BM has a physical anthropology section where they have thousands of bone sets stored for research as well.
And there are lots of medical museums around the world with particularly choice displays. The Army medical museum at Walter Reed is especially famous: when I was growing up the elephentitis leg and the gallery of shotgun suicides were mandatory for us kids.
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Richard Campbell
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