Yzabelle Bostyn
A SPANISH museum has sparked backlash after it removed a mummy from display over risk of ‘offence’.
Madrid’s National Archaeology Museum (MAN) removed a mummy from display on Tuesday in accordance with state museum rules for displaying human remains.
However, the decision has caused controversy with visitors such as @conde_negro on X, who says the move is an ‘extreme case of ofendiditis’ which ‘should not be normalised.’
“We’re getting to the stage where it seems people suffer from a childishness seen only in Disney films. This is just one example,” @Descartesrh commented.
Other users claimed ‘sensitivity’ could put an end to art and culture altogether, referring to religious relics and ‘gruesome’ artworks such as Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son.
“Tomorrow they’ll say that this is too much and we have to take it down and hide it so as not to hurt sensitive people,” @RetroVenX said.
Meanwhile, others suggested the Ministry of Culture invest money in other projects.
“This is stupid when we have more important things to do like protect the Temple of Debod, which is going to sh*t thanks to pollution,” @LuisMig25399404 suggested.
Others pointed out that the removal of the mummy could be a ‘good time’ to return it to its native island of Tenerife.
Known as the ‘Guanche Mummy’, the relic is an example of a person indigenous to Tenerife (and later, other Canary Islands). It was first discovered in 1764.
It was found in the Barranco de Herques cave alongside a thousand other mummies and is believed to be from the seventh or eighth century.
According to a study carried out by the museum in 2018: “The mummy is an adult male of high social status between 35 and 40 years old.”
Guanches occupied the island before Spaniards arrived in the 13th century, developing a distant culture, language and way of life.
Spain colonised the Canary Islands throughout the 15th century, leading the Guanche culture to disappear.
The rules applied to withdraw the mummy were released on Monday and are based on guidance by the International Council of Museums.
They state human remains ‘should be treated with respect and dignity, conforming with the beliefs and interests of the communities and ethnic groups they come from.’
According to MAN, there was not enough information on the mummy to justify its display in the Canary Islands area of the Protohistoric section of the museum.
Photo: Cordon Press
If more information is added in future, such as an explanation of the mummification process, the relic could return to display.
Some 16 Spanish museums must comply with the new rules, which apply to all state run museums.
“This is not a ban,” said the Ministry of Culture, “We must analyse the rules on a case by case basis.”
They will apply to bones, mummies, soft tissues, organs, embryos, skin, and any objects which incorporate human body parts.
However it excludes moulds, masks, recordings, photographs and funerary offerings.
They also stated the exhibition of human remains also depends on the consent of the individual exhibited.
However, there are also key exceptions to the rule.
“When it is essential for learning, they should be shown, provided that there is no other alternative in the exhibition discourse and they are correctly documented and contextualised,” the Ministry said.
Remains may also be used and displayed if this does not go against the cultural or religious beliefs of the deceased.
