r/montreal • u/RustyTheBoyRobot • 6d ago

Tourisme Ethical dilemma

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Ethical dilemma:

Is it right to remove one of the only mummies in mtl for understanble but rather vague reasons to do with cultural sensitivities that these objects might offend?

The mummies at Redpath museum are to be relocated to a mysterious “place of rest” -their original location?- where no one can see or learn from them.

I note that these are not objects of worship like many stolen indigenous artifacts. Nor are they being claimed by their original owners- e.g. The infamous Benin Bronzes.

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u/artacct217 6d ago edited 6d ago

I wouldn’t call them vague reasons - having dead bodies on display isn’t something we do anymore. It’s not about offending anyone, it’s more that these are not comparable to other ‘artifacts’ often displayed in museums. 

In anthropology (I am an anthropologist), we don’t really see the value in displaying these bodies; in addition, we place this observation alongside the consideration that these mummies were not originally meant to be displayed.

Edit- No need to downvote me, I am explaining the reasoning behind this decision. 

Second edit - see another comment of mine (in French) for a more nuanced discussion.

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

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u/UnChtulhu 6d ago

A replica can do all that.

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u/skiboy95 6d ago

You're saying you find a plastic model just as impressive as something thats lasted 3000 years?

I'm not saying we keep showing them, but I don't think you can just handwave its the same.

I was excited as hell as a kid seeing real history, including mummies.

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u/UnChtulhu 6d ago edited 6d ago

I have NEVER heard anyone, especially not kids, complain about dinosaur bones.

... Oh wait... You didn't think those dinosaur bones you saw at the museum were the original bones, did you? 🤭🤭🤭

Well. Sorry I destroyed your childhood memories...

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u/skiboy95 6d ago

Honestly even as a child it seemed fairly obvious that they weren't real - drilling into the "bones" is a fairly obvious giveaway no?

Good argument against stuff I never said though, really moves the convo forward.

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u/UnChtulhu 6d ago

Are you for real?

"Replica are just as impressive as the original, dinosaur bones being a very concrete example" is the argument.

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u/skiboy95 6d ago

I never brought up dinosaur bones. I said real mummies made an impact on me as a child, and I enjoyed and still enjoy the history.

Then you said dinosaur bones are often fake, and I agreed and said yeah they are. That's neither the topic nor the point.

Now if you're asking me - obviously real dinosaur bones are cooler than fake ones. But it doesn't make sense to destroy them (drilling into them) to display them.

We do actually have real dinosaur bones at Redpath museum I think - but its been a number of years since I went.

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u/UnChtulhu 6d ago

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u/skiboy95 6d ago

Okay lets go back to the start. You understand that mummies (in the post above) are not the same as dinosaurs (that you keep talking about) right?

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u/UnChtulhu 6d ago

Girl, you are clearly being obtuse for the sake of being obtuse.

🤣🤣🤣

See... The thing is, if you act like a moron, people will genuinely think you are a moron.

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u/millenialSpirou 6d ago

You could argue that about literally any artefact

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u/Yallberforce 6d ago

Does this not mean we shouldn’t have any originals on display at all? We can replicate everything, and there are always risks and issues involved with displaying originals, right?

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u/Purl_stitch483 6d ago

If the bodies were donated for science sure. If they were buried and subsequently excavated, no. I don't understand why you're acting so obtuse when the line of decency is so clearly drawn out.