Human remains

Stefanie Scheerer <stefscheerer [at] yahoo__de> writes

>I am interested to know if there are any health and safety
>procedures available that deal with the handling of archaeological
>animal or human remains. Particularly remains that contain
>(partially) non-mummified tissue might present a health hazard
>during the excavation, in temporary storage on the excavation, which
>might be under hot and humid conditions, and in long-term storage
>under unfavourable conditions.

With regard to Stefanie Scheerer's request on health and safety
procedures, Grave Concerns: Death and Burial in England, 1700-1850
(Margaret Cox, editor, Council for British Archaeology Research
Report 113, 1998) includes several pertinent articles, including
Paul Kneller's article "Health and Safety in Church and Funerary
Archaeology," Susan E.J. Young's article, "Archaeology and
Smallpox," and James Thompson's "Bodies, Minds, and Human Remains."

While more oriented toward forensic issues, the publications "The
Infection Hazards of Human Cadavers" by T.D. Healing, P.N. Hoffman,
and S.E. J. Young, CDR Review, v. 5, n. 5, 1995 and "Handling of
Human Remains from Natural Disasters," USACHPPM, may also provide
some information of use.

Hope these help.

Michael Trinkley, Ph.D.
Director
Chicora Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 8664
Columbia, SC  29202-8664
803-787-6910


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 22:33
                Distributed: Saturday, December 6, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-22-33-007
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