The Advisory Panel on the Archaeology of Burials in England (APABE) has published an updated version of Science and the Dead: A Guideline for the Destructive Sampling of Archaeological Human Remains for Scientific Analysis.
Those responsible for the care of collections of archaeological human remains are increasingly being approached with requests from researchers for removal of bone or tooth samples for the purposes of scientific analyses, including DNA, isotope, radiocarbon dating and histological studies.The updated guidelines aim to provide a framework to help organisations in responding to such requests, taking into account legal, ethical and scientific considerations.
The guidelines, along with further information, are available as a free download from the Historic England website - Human Remains Advice.
