From Bill White, Centre for Human Bioarchaeology
Your article on guidelines for the archaeological excavation of cemeteries in England and Wales (15 May, p 8) was timely, although it should have made clear the guidelines are at a consultation stage until the end of June. Also, calls for reburial have been sporadic and capricious. There is no groundswell of opinion demanding reburial of human remains excavated within the UK. The general public remain remarkably relaxed about the subject.
The consultative document is a valuable contribution to the current multifaceted debate, which includes consultation on plans by the Home Office for burial law; policy on overcrowding in active burial grounds; and the recommendations of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport working party on the repatriation or retention of human remains held in UK museums and other institutions.
Museum of London, UK
