Reburial requirement impedes archaeology

We have written to justice secretary Kenneth Clarke to express our concern about conditions imposed on the archaeological excavation of human remains, which occurs under licence from the Ministry of Justice. Recently issued licences require the reburial of all human remains from England and Wales, however ancient. This requirement is not specified in the relevant act and Mr Clarke has not explained his reasoning. We wish to return to the simple, well-tried system practised up to 2008 which permitted the retention, study, curation and display of excavated remains as appropriate. The current licence conditions are impeding scientific research, preventing new discoveries from entering museums, and are not in the public interest. The long-term retention of excavated ancient human remains is a fundamental principle of scientific research, regulated by professional ethics and guidelines, and is a museum practice that has been much examined around the world. Curated remains continue to be reanalysed for centuries, as new techniques are developed. Such research makes important contributions to the public's understanding of the lives of the people who came before us; it helps put our own lives into perspective. If the requirement for wholesale reburial remains, Britain risks losing its leading role in archaeology, a decline that will be observed by a mystified international scientific community. Sir Barry Cunliffe CBE FBA, Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology University of Oxford Professor Chris Stringer FRS, Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum Professor Graeme Barker FBA, Disney Professor of Archaeology, University of Cambridge Professor Stephen Shennan FBA, Director of the UCL Institute of Archaeology, London Professor Mike Fulford CBE FBA, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Professor Geoffrey Wainwright MBE, former Chief Archaeologist, English Heritage Professor Timothy Darvill OBE, School of Applied Sciences, Bournemouth University Professor Richard P. Evershed FRS FRSC, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol Professor Martin Bell FBA, Head of Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Professor Richard Bradley FBA, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Professor Clive Gamble FBA, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London Professor Roberta Gilchrist FBA, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Professor Chris Gosden FBA, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford Professor Anthony Harding FBA, Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter Professor Colin Haselgrove FBA, Head of School of Archaeology & Ancient History, University of Leicester Professor David Mattingly FBA, School of Archaeology & Ancient History, University of Leicester Professor Martin Millett FBA, Laurence Professor of Classical Archaeology, University of Cambridge Professor Alasdair Whittle FBA, Distinguished Research Professor in Archaeology, Cardiff University Professor Ian Armit, Department of Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences, University of Bradford Professor David Austin, Chair of Archaeology, University of Wales Trinity St David Professor Martin Carver, Editor of Antiquity, Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, University of York Professor Andrew Chamberlain, Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield Professor Bob Chapman, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Professor Jim Crow, Head of Archaeology, School of History, Classics & Archaeology, Edinburgh University Professor Keith Dobney, Sixth Century Professor of Human Palaeoecology, University of Aberdeen Professor Stephen T. Driscoll, Department of Archaeology, University of Glasgow Professor Andrew Fleming, Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, University of Wales Professor Helena Hamerow, Head of School of Archaeology, University of Oxford Professor Ian Haynes, Chair of Archaeology, Newcastle University Professor Julian Henderson, Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham Professor Carl Heron, Head of Archaeological, Geographical & Environmental Sciences, University of Bradford Professor Simon Hillson, UCL Institute of Archaeology, London Professor Mark Horton, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Bristol Professor John Hunter, Emeritus Professor of Ancient History & Archaeology, University of Birmingham Professor Martin Jones, George Pitt-Rivers Professor of Archaeological Science, University of Cambridge Professor Mike Parker Pearson, Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield Mike Pitts, Editor of British Archaeology, Director of Digging Deeper Ltd Professor Charlotte A. Roberts, Department of Archaeology, University of Durham Dr Duncan Sayer, School of Forensic & Investigative Science, University of Central Lancashire Professor Chris Scarre, Head of Department of Archaeology, University of Durham Professor Howard Williams, Department of History & Archaeology, University of Chester