The SAA Adopts New Statement Concerning the Treatment of Human Remains
Archaeology is the study of the ancient and recent human past through material remains. Because archaeologists may encounter and study human remains as part of their work, the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) provides a statement to reflect the SAA’s values of stewardship, respect, consultation, and accountability in the context of work with human remains.
The SAA’s newly revised and adopted Statement Concerning the Treatment of Human Remains replaces the prior statement adopted in 1986.
The SAA Board owes a debt of gratitude to the Committee on Native American Relations and the Committee on Repatriation for their tremendous work. The SAA Board also thanks the many members who shared comments through formal committee and interest group consultations, directly to the committees, and/or by participating in the open forum on April 14th.
The board is working on a Spanish translation of the statement and we will add it as soon as it is available.
