Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Should HUMAN REMAINS be in museums? What about other places where they are shown, such as in churches, people’s homes and funeral parlours? Should the rules be different for modern remains versus ancient, for skeletons versus bodies, for one culture versus another and if so, why and how do we determine where the cut-off points are? When are human remains ancient enough? Is it ok to look at Egyptian mummies and bog men, or should they be reburied and left alone?
In this week’s video from History Calling we’ll look at the tricky question of how we treat our dead and ask should dead bodies be on display under any circumstances? I’ll talk to you about how the remains of the rich and famous have been treated, from Tutankhamun to Henry VI of England, Richard III, Thomas Cromwell, the Russian leader Vladimir Lenin and even the so-called miracle in Missouri, in which a nun named Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster who died four years previously was dug up in 2023, found to be virtually undecayed and promptly put on display in her former church, with visitors allowed to touch her. We’ll also look at anonymous remains, including Irish bog bodies on display in a museum in Dublin and bodies volunteered by their owners for medical research and teaching. We’ll think too about how attitudes to the dead differ between cultures and time periods and the reasons for and against the practice of showing dead bodies to the world, including the ethical considerations.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
DEATH, MURDER AND CORPSES PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HqKJP-pwWUcP1OtH1hRvN4
WAS HENRY VI MURDERED
paste youtu.be/E_tWkpAv878
CATHERINE PARR’S CORPSE
youtu.be/p6lPB4uzmwI
CHARLES I’S CORPSE
youtu.be/71HpXT1q0EU
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
LEARN MORE
The ‘miracle of Missouri’ nun
benedictinesofmary.org/srwilhelmina
Thousands flock to Missouri to view preserved body of exhumed nun who died four years ago
independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/missouri-nun-wilhelimina-lancaster-body-b2347612.html
Mummified remains on display in Palermo Capuchin convent
atlasobscura.com/places/capuchin-monastery
Includes video of the Palermo Cupucian convent
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombe_dei_Cappuccini
Lenin’s body improves with age
scientificamerican.com/article/lenin-s-body-improves-with-age1
The Body World’s exhibition
bodyworlds.com
The Irish Giant: Charles Byrne's skeleton removed from display
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64234653
The King in the Carpark (2013). Documentary about the discovery of Richard III’s skeleton in 2012
amzn.to/3CU9JRr (US LINK)
amzn.to/3C0loMF (UK LINK)
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Should HUMAN REMAINS be in museums? What about other places where they are shown, such as in churches, people’s homes and funeral parlours? Should the rules be different for modern remains versus ancient, for skeletons versus bodies, for one culture versus another and if so, why and how do we determine where the cut-off points are? When are human remains ancient enough? Is it ok to look at Egyptian mummies and bog men, or should they be reburied and left alone?
In this week’s video from History Calling we’ll look at the tricky question of how we treat our dead and ask should dead bodies be on display under any circumstances? I’ll talk to you about how the remains of the rich and famous have been treated, from Tutankhamun to Henry VI of England, Richard III, Thomas Cromwell, the Russian leader Vladimir Lenin and even the so-called miracle in Missouri, in which a nun named Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster who died four years previously was dug up in 2023, found to be virtually undecayed and promptly put on display in her former church, with visitors allowed to touch her. We’ll also look at anonymous remains, including Irish bog bodies on display in a museum in Dublin and bodies volunteered by their owners for medical research and teaching. We’ll think too about how attitudes to the dead differ between cultures and time periods and the reasons for and against the practice of showing dead bodies to the world, including the ethical considerations.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
DEATH, MURDER AND CORPSES PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HqKJP-pwWUcP1OtH1hRvN4
WAS HENRY VI MURDERED
paste youtu.be/E_tWkpAv878
CATHERINE PARR’S CORPSE
youtu.be/p6lPB4uzmwI
CHARLES I’S CORPSE
youtu.be/71HpXT1q0EU
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
LEARN MORE
The ‘miracle of Missouri’ nun
benedictinesofmary.org/srwilhelmina
Thousands flock to Missouri to view preserved body of exhumed nun who died four years ago
independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/missouri-nun-wilhelimina-lancaster-body-b2347612.html
Mummified remains on display in Palermo Capuchin convent
atlasobscura.com/places/capuchin-monastery
Includes video of the Palermo Cupucian convent
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombe_dei_Cappuccini
Lenin’s body improves with age
scientificamerican.com/article/lenin-s-body-improves-with-age1
The Body World’s exhibition
bodyworlds.com
The Irish Giant: Charles Byrne's skeleton removed from display
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64234653
The King in the Carpark (2013). Documentary about the discovery of Richard III’s skeleton in 2012
amzn.to/3CU9JRr (US LINK)
amzn.to/3C0loMF (UK LINK)
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
