ABSTRACT The exhibition of human remains represents one of the most debated issues in the contemporary field of museum studies. Although mummies, skeletons, and funerary assemblages have historically played a central role in archeological and anthropological research, their presentation to the public today raises ethical, cultural, and existential questions. This article brings Death Studies, Death Education, and Terror Management Theory into dialog in order to contribute to the debate on how to rethink the exhibition of human remains in museums. In particular, it introduces the Bio‐Psycho‐Social‐Spiritual (BPSS) framework as a conceptual tool for interpreting encounters with the theme of death within the museum space. Through this perspective, the article suggests how the exhibition of human (and non‐human) remains can be transformed into an opportunity for dialog and reflection on the theme of death, fostering the development of death literacy. The BPSS framework is proposed both as an analytical tool for interpreting existing displays and as a framework capable of guiding future curatorial choices, promoting awareness and critical reflection on the complex and multifaceted nature of death.
Damiano Fina (Wed,) studied this question.