The University of Aberdeen acquired the remains in 1852. The skull of an Aboriginal man believed to have been killed by colonizers in the early 19th century has been repatriated for burial in Tasmania from a British university. The unidentified young man’s remains will be laid to rest in a ceremonial burial on Friday on the Australian island, according to a statement from the University of Aberdeen published on Wednesday.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, responsible for the long-overdue burial, was first approached by the Scottish university in 2019 with a repatriation proposal, which was approved the following year. Details on how the university obtained the skull, which is missing its lower jaw, are scarce. It was part of the collection of William MacGillivray, a professor of natural history at Marischal College, a precursor to the modern Aberdeen University. The university purchased MacGillivray’s collection after his death in 1852. The sale catalog from that acquisition described the remains as belonging to a “native of Van Diemen’s Land, who was shot on the Shannon River.” Van Diemen’s Land was the colonial name for Tasmania.
There is no surviving record explaining the acquisition of the skull. Initially held in the university’s comparative anatomy collection, it was later moved to its human culture collection in the early 2000s. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was used for medical education.
According to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, as quoted in the university statement, there is “no doubt that this skull was removed from the man shot at the Shannon River to service the trade in Aboriginal body parts.” The killing likely occurred in the 1820s or 1830s, with the decapitation likely carried out by one of the individuals involved in or associated with the man’s murder.
While the man’s identity may never be known, he was part of the Big River tribe, which was entirely wiped out. Andry Sculthorpe of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre emphasized the significance of repatriation, stating that Aboriginal people feel a great responsibility to return both the physical remains and the spirits of their ancestors to their homeland.
The University of Aberdeen noted its established procedure for considering repatriation from its collections, citing previous returns such as a Benin bronze to Nigeria in 2021. Neil Curtis, head of museums and special collections at the university, highlighted the importance of acknowledging the violent and racist history behind the acquisition of such ancestral remains.
“We are delighted to announce that the remains of this young man will be transferred to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre for a respectful burial in his native land. These remains can be utilized for research, educational, or exhibition purposes. Visit CNN.com to sign up for additional CNN news and newsletters.”
