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PART ONE - For this part you will be working in groups of 4.

Each member of your group will be required to adopt one of the following perspectives: Historian, Archaeologist, Scientist, or Reporter.

Your task is to use the links and guiding questions for each perspective (provided on the King Tutankhamun webquest) to consider why the person in that perspective might:

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a) think that we should dig up and study human remains, and;

b) why they may believe that we should leave them buried.

You must consider both sides of the argument for every perspective.  The answers won't come directly from the websites - you will need to use the information in combination with your own thoughts and ideas.

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​You will be presenting your arguments in this Padlet.

Check your group number with your teacher and make sure you fill in the information under the correct heading in your pad.

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Below is the criteria that you will be marked on for your writing and research in this Padlet webquest activity.  Please look at it carefully and ensure you understand what is required of you.  You will be marked by the teacher and by other students.

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The Historian (Derek)

A historian would believe that it is necessary to dig up human remains in order to keep their jobs but also to provide opportunities for them to learn about the past. A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past, and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. Any findings would provide a historian the chance to learn more and hear about the stories of people from the past.

A historian may believe that digging up human remains brings up ethical concerns. Some may also believe that digging up peoples remains is ethically wrong due to religious reasons. Digging up remains could also lead to tampering of the site and therefore it may make the evidence/sources unreliable.

The Archaeologist (Angus)

An archaeologist would believe that human remains should be excavated and studied as it would keep them in business. Archaeologists are people who study human history through the excavation and analysis of sites which is not something that is actively in demand and would advocate for any discovery to be unearthed. Any excavation effort is good publicity for a company and can put a company into the history books. Also by excavating human remains, the archaeologist can further their understanding and develop their techniques. Excavating sites can also be a great travel opportunity and archaeologists can tour places no one else has seen. Shifting away from excavating, many archaeologists become writers, professors or educators and talking about personal experiences can captivate readers and students with their deep understanding of an excavation effort.

There are not many reasons why an archaeologist wouldn’t want to unearth and study human remains. Just as with all roles, if the person has a personal aversion to a specific site due to personal values, religion or belief, they may oppose the excavation of human remains. Another reason could be that there is political tension between nations due to the debate of digging up a certain site and an archaeologist may not want to be involved in politics. Finally, they may not have the resources or manpower to properly preserve artefacts.

The Scientist (Jayden)

Scientists would of course believe that we should dig up human remains because there wouldn’t be anything to even study if scientists were unable to dig up these remains. Scientists are unable to obtain any information and DNA samples from remains which are still underground as their research is purely based on practical work and physical samples.

Studying human remains is a very delicate and difficult job for scientists and a lot of care goes into every procedure. Human remains decay rapidly and cross contamination can occur very quickly. Scientists would want to leave human remains buried to preserve the sample for longer and to prevent any external bacteria or substances from affecting the remains. If there is nothing the scientists immediately need from the human remain it would be a good choice for them to leave the body buried and sustain it for as long as possible to save it for when it is actually needed for information.

The Reporter (Zach)

A reporter will primarily believe that we should dig up and study human remains as it will create and warrant a larger, more important and more interesting article than if the remains were kept buried. This article could give the reporter personal benefits, including good pay and a promotion if the article is successful, but would also allow the reporter to benefit their community and society, as well as engage their readers or viewers, through posing relevant questions and challenging their views on the topic. This would be a significant opportunity for the reporter to provide their own opinion on the topic while helpfully conveying the history, science and information uncovered along with the remains. The reporting conducted on the excavation and human remains would assist in the recording of history, and in the education of the future generations, just as we are currently referring to and reading articles written by reporters on the discovery and excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb. This gives the reporter a chance to leave a lasting impact in a profession where each day brings new and different stories. Lastly, if the reporter works for a TV station and not a newspaper, then there could be the appealing possibility of travel if the location of the human remains is in another country, and the reporter may get the chance to interview, and thus meet, important people.

A reporter may believe that we should leave human remains buried as it could be against their personal and ethical beliefs. In a professional context, the reporter’s newspaper or news channel may also hold the political and ethical belief the remains should not be dug up, but this would only occur in rare cases and be unlikely as most media is impartial and reports on stories no matter the ethics and politics involved. However, the reporter and media may wish to leave them buried if the remains are located in their country and therefore there would be a higher chance the population of their country would be against the excavation and study of the human remains. If the majority of their viewers or readers are against something, it would not be beneficial to report or endorse it as their stance will be unpopular and likely result in them receiving criticism or even hate.

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The Historian (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried

The Archaeologist (Leo Shin)

Dig Up the Past

Archaeologists are speakers for the dead and provide a voice to those stories that otherwise might be lost to history. Whilst, it is impossible to know if the deceased would want their stories to be revealed to the modern world, excavating the past has and continues to play a crucial role in the unravelling and study of the human race.

Leave it Buried

Archaeologists face the inevitable and unethical discomfort of disturbing a person’s final resting place to satisfy idle curiosity. An archaeologist may find validity in the argument that humans should leave the buried untouched, as excavating a tomb or grave would mean removing it from its original site and disassembling the body.

The Scientist (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried

The Reporter (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried

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The Historian (Daniel)

Dig Up the Past

2. Historians are interested in studying human remains as it informs us about past societies, and can help our society in the future. By learning more about the lives, societal structures, norms and cultures of past civilisations we can get a greater understanding of the past. With this new information we can see what worked and what didn't work in the past and adapt the way we live for the better.
3. It is argued that if human remains are to be displayed in museums, it should be done respectfully. However, this is extremely hard to achieve so is it even worth displaying in the first place? Measures can be made in museums such as no touching, no flash on cameras and a more conserved display method but not too much else can be done. But the information gained from the display of these human remains is too valuable to historians and the public to be knowingly left in a tomb for it to be potentially stollen.
4. Historians need to be aware of many factors when dealing with human remains to make sure mistakes from the past aren't repeated. Historians need to take into account how fragile the remains are when handling and cutting into them to prevent more examples of mishandled and broken remains. It must also be considered that the remains once were a human and should be treated respectfully. The best way to ensure the remains are treated with care is to have adequate technology to be able to get top results while also not put the remains at risk.

Leave it Buried

1. In the quest to find out more about historical figures, cities and societies, historians have used human remains to discover more and gather information. Historians have opened up tombs and taken remains out of their resting places, cut into and taken apart bodies and used machinery to scan remains. By doing this the remains are disrupted and the care and value of the burial is completely thrown away. For example, Egyptian burials help get the person to the afterlife but the disruption of this is unethical.
The Archaeologist (Hal)

1. What does an archaeologist do?
Archaeologists investigate historic and prehistoric sites and physical remains to understand human links to the past and to preserve past cultures. Archaeologists find clues about the past. They use a variety of extraction or digging techniques.

Dig Up the Past

4. What would be the disadvantages of leaving human remains buried?
Bioarcheologists, specialists in the study of human remains, believe are deeply aware that they are handling what was once a living person. They see themselves not only as scholars of the past, but as speakers for the dead, giving a voice to those whose stories might otherwise be lost to history.  Therefore, as human bones tell stories that would otherwise be lost to history, archeologists treat gigging up human remains as a coronary investigation and not an indecent hobby powered by idle curiosity.

Leave it Buried

2. What unethical things could an archaeologist do with human remains?
One example relevant to the removal of King Tut's remains that is highly critisized was the forceful disassembly of his skeleton. As King Tut was basically glued to the bottom of the coffin, Howard Carter knew that taking apart the skeleton bone by bone was the only way, at the time, to analysis the remains. This was highly critisized as being indecent and disrespectful.
3. What groups of people would be affected by the unethical treatment of human remains?
The objections towards the excavation of human remains often stem from religious beliefs and historic grievances, but the outrage is also driven by perceptions of indecency—the discomfort of disturbing a person’s final resting place to satisfy idle curiosity.
The Scientist (Insert your name here)

Dig up the past

Leave it Buried

The Reporter (Insert your name here)

Dig up the past

Leave it Buried

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The Historian (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried

The Archaeologist (Raza)

Dig Up the Past

To dig up the past, Archaeologists give insights into a previous ancient realm that once existed. Archaeologists are people who study human history through the excavation and analysis of sites which is not something that is actively in demand and would advocate for any discovery to be unearthed. This is why they see themselves as scholars of the past a speaker for the dead. They give insight into ancient civilisations and cultures that would otherwise have disappeared and forgotten over time. It is impossible to know if the ancient beings would want to be excavated.

Leave it Buried

Archaeologists do have to suffer the guilt and feeling of destroying a culture and going against their belief when digging up sites. This could serve as a moral barrier that could have archaeologists leaving sites buried. Archaeologists also might leave sites unburied since digging and excavating will cause more damage rather than discovery and insight due to numerous reasons. This can be viewed in Emperor Qin of Ancient Chinas tomb.

The Scientist (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried

The Reporter (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried

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The Historian (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried

The Archaeologist (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried

The Scientist (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried

The Reporter (Insert your name here)

Dig Up the Past

Leave it Buried