Provenance Research on Ancestral Human Remains from Colonial Contexts
Since 2021, the Museum of the University of Tübingen (MUT) has been investigating the origins of ancestral human remains in Baden-Württemberg. The MUT has thus hired another research assistant to work on the project ‘Researching human remains from the colonial era in the collections of the University of Tübingen,’ which began on 15 March 2025.
This new project will focus on the University of Tübingen's scientific collections. As well as ancestral human remains from Africa, the project will focus on those from other former German colonial territories, such as the Pacific region, and all ancestral humans remains that entered the collections during the colonial era. The aim is to process and document all ancestral human remains in the collections responsibly and comprehensively.
Why terms matter
In provenance research at the Museum of the University of Tübingen MUT, we deliberately use the term ancestral human remains instead of the term ‘human remains’ established in German academic and museological discourse, as recommended by the German Museum Association (DMB), or ‘menschliche Gebeine’ ('human bones') as used in the project application to the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts (MWK).
These terms remain predominantly descriptive and materialistic and, in our view, fall short when it comes to historically burdened collections. The recommendation of the advisory board of the joint project ‘Prekäre Provenienz’ (Precarious Provenance) at the MUT emphasises the need for reflective and responsible language that highlights colonial contexts of violence, processes of dehumanisation and the potential connection of individuals to their societies of origin. The term ancestral human remains takes greater account of this ethical dimension, as it emphasises the biographical, cultural and social connections of the deceased and thus supports a re-humanising, decolonially informed research practice.
1. Historical provenance research
The University of Tübingen Museum's new provenance research project is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the origins and historical acquisition contexts of ancestral human remains from the colonial era held in the university's collections. Building on the results of a previous joint project, this research is being conducted in accordance with established national guidelines on handling collection items from colonial contexts.
The project has a particular focus on systematically recording all ancestral human remains and reconstructing the scientific networks through which they entered the collections during the colonial era. To this end, inventory books, administrative records, estates and other archival sources are being evaluated to trace transport routes, the actors involved and institutional interrelationships. This detailed analysis provides a transparent picture of the collection practices of the time and their integration into colonial structures.
2. Visual anthropological assessment
In addition to historical provenance research, visual, non-invasive anthropological examination can contribute to our understanding of the life and collection history of the ancestors in question. The analysis of morphological characteristics, state of preservation, and documented traces of earlier – often colonial-influenced – collection practices, serves solely to provide context, not classification.
Osteobiographies can provide information about gender, age, pathological changes and possible traumatic effects, revealing individual life circumstances that are often absent from archival sources. Combining anthropological and historical provenance research enables a critical reconstruction of historical collection processes and the actors involved while maintaining awareness of ethical responsibility towards the communities of origin concerned.
3. Transparency
Our aim is to communicate the research results as transparently as possible, while involving the affected communities in the research process. We are committed to regularly publishing project updates, providing the affected communities with access to the results, and collaborating more closely with them.
Background, significance and funding
The research and reappraisal work is based on the ‘First Key Points for Dealing with Collection Items from Colonial Contexts’ (2019) and the ‘Joint Guidelines’ (2025) issued by the federal government, the states and local authority associations. These guidelines explicitly prioritise the reappraisal and repatriation of ancestral human remains from colonial contexts. To systematically continue this process, the University of Tübingen and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts (MWK) have agreed to jointly finance a five-year project.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Die Abbildung zeigt Ernst Seidl, Direktor des MUTs](/fileadmin/_processed_/f/0/csm_ernst_ebbdf428d8.webp "[Translate to Englisch:] © MUT | V. Marquardt")
Dr Annika Vosseler
Provenance and collection research
Phone: +49 (0)7071 29 74127
E-mail: annika.vosseler[at]uni-tuebingen.de
Dr Anne Kremmer
Provenance research ‘ancestral human remains’
Phone: +49 (0)7071 29 74127
E-mail: anne.kremmer[at]uni-tuebingen.de