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This research examines the challenges posed by unaccounted human remains in the UK and the need for a centralised database.

March 31, 2026Antiquity1 citationsOpen Access

Lost or overused: legal, ethical and research imperatives for a centralised human-remains database in the UK

MLMary LewisUniversity of Reading RPRebecca Pitt SBSolange BohlingUniversity of York

Key Points

This research examines the challenges posed by unaccounted human remains in the UK and the need for a centralised database.
Analysis of existing records of human remains excavated in the UK from 1869 to 2008.
Exploration of legal, ethical, and research implications regarding the handling of human remains.
Discussion of the impact of fragmented access to human remains on research and heritage preservation.
Identified 25,700 unaccounted human remains from historical excavations.
Noted that difficulties in accessing smaller or under-represented collections hinder research.
Emphasized the risk of damage to overused skeletal collections.

Abstract

The skeletal remains of almost 25 700 people excavated in the UK between 1869 and 2008 are unaccounted for. Although their existence is recorded in a human-remains database, their current location is unknown. Here, the authors explore the research, legal and ethical implications of this missing heritage, arguing that difficulties in accessing human remains from smaller sites or under-represented regions stifle research into past lives and contribute to the overuse and potential damage of well-known skeletal collections. To combat this, and to safeguard legacy and future collections, the authors (re)advocate the imperative for a centralised database of human remains.

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