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last mo.

University of Aberdeen Repatriates SkullTasmanian Aboriginal Man After Nearly Two Centuries

The remains, acquired through colonial-era violence, will be ceremonially buried in Tasmania on Friday, marking a significant act of cultural restoration.

The University of Aberdeen, pictured in 2013.
Neil Curtis, head of museums and special collections at Aberdeen University, is seen with the container of remains to be repatriated.
Image
The man was part of the “Big River” tribe, one of the many original tribes which have been entirely wiped out and for which there are no direct descendants. His skull – not the one pictured – is being returned the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre in Hobart

Overview

  • The skull, believed to belong to a young man from the Big River tribe, was likely taken following his murder in the early 19th century to fuel the trade in Aboriginal body parts.
  • The University of Aberdeen purchased the remains in 1852 as part of a collection by William MacGillivray, a professor of natural history.
  • Initially used for medical education, the skull was later moved to the university’s human culture collection in the 2000s.
  • The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, recognized as the appropriate organization for such returns, was contacted in 2019 to discuss repatriation, which was approved in 2020.
  • This repatriation is part of a broader movement addressing the unethical acquisition of Indigenous remains and artifacts, including the university’s return of a Benin bronze to Nigeria in 2021.