The ethics of studying human and non-human remains in the Circum-Caribbean

Abstract

The study, management, and display of archaeological skeletal remains has become an increasingly debated subject, as one lacking regulations in most parts of the world. Currently, little legal or structured ethical guidance is available for researchers that deal with skeletal remains, who often depend on their own ethic code of practice. In the circum-Caribbean, there are a few institutionalised ways to protect human remains, such as the document of practice guidelines that was established in the summer of 2022 by the International Association for Caribbean Archaeology (IACA). In addition, this document is designed to cover practice in Caribbean archaeology, which in reality is rather difficult, due to the heterogeneity of the region. Moreover, there are little to no legal repercussions for not adhering to these guidelines. Consulting with local researchers and stakeholders from different islands in the Caribbean region, we highlight different aspects of the archaeological process in which these ethical considerations surface. Taking into account Indigenous Caribbean ontologies, we consider the treatment of animal remains in parallel to human remains. We propose a treatment of animal remains that is similar to that of human remains, aiming for a decolonial archaeological practice in Caribbean contexts. We end by suggesting pointers that can act as a reference for researchers in the region concerned with skeletal material.