Request concerning study of "Andean mummies" (2025/67)

On 5 April 2025, the National Committee for Research Ethics on Human Remains (Human Remains Committee) received a request from Robin Gerst, doctoral candidate at Institut für Archäologische Wissenschaften, Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He is requesting to study the remains of seven mummified individuals, kept at the University of Oslo (UiO), as part of his project “Marked Bodies - Analysis and Contextualization of Prehistoric Skin Marks on Andean Mummies”. Gerst aims at completing the project by the end of 2025, but an extension is possible.

Goethe University Frankfurt is responsible for the project. Listed as collaborators (consulting) are Eurac Bolzano (Albert Zink), Aaron Deter Wolf and the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Goethe University.

The project has applied to the Museum of Cultural History (KHM), UiO, for access to the remains. KHM will approve the application following a positive review from the Human Remains Committee.

Gerst’s request to the Human Remains Committee includes a filled-out submission form, project description, ethical self-assessment, letter of recommendation from two experts in Peru and reply to the application with KHM. The request was evaluated by the Human Remains Committee in its meeting on May 28th, 2025.

Project purpose

The request is part of Gerst’s doctoral research project in archaeology and anthropology. The purpose of the project is to record and examine skin marks (tattoos) on the remains of mummified bodies from the Andean region kept in European collections. Gerst is aiming at creating a typology and catalog of the figures and patterns used on skin, and to correlate these skin signs with archaeological cultures. Moreover, Gerst wishes to provide individual histories to these decontextualized human remains, linking them to specific regions and cultures through nondestructive archaeological provenance research.

Material

The material for this specific request is the mummified remains of seven pre-Hispanic individuals kept at the University of Oslo (collection numbers: UEM3172, A4603, A4604, A4605, A4606, A4607, A4608). The remains originate from burial contexts on the coasts of South America (present-day Peru and Chile). They are not dated and may be between 8,000 to 500 years old. The remains were decontextualized in the 19th or early 20th century and brought to Europe.

The degree of preservation of the remains is not described, however, Gerst states that the mummified bodies have been removed from the typical mummy bundle (fardo) and are thus stored as unwrapped mummies.  

One of the mummified remains (UEM3172) is under management of KHM, UiO. Whereas UEM3172 is kept at KHM’s facilities at Økern, the six other requested mummies (A4603, A4604, A4605, A4606, A4607, A4608) are under the stewardship of the Biological Anthropology Collection (UiO) and stored at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (BAS), UiO.

Method 

The skin surface of the mummies will be examined using infrared (IR) photography, including a special camera equipped with an IR illuminator and IR filter. This is a well-established and widely recognized non-invasive technique in mummy research.  
The method is based on the principle that tattoo ink absorbs infrared radiation, while the surrounding skin reflects it. This contrast allows for the production of high-resolution images that can reveal skin features invisible to the naked eye. The process involves no physical contact with the remains beyond standard photographic procedures. If any skin markings are detected, they will be documented, analyzed, and interpreted based on the IR images.

Ethical self-assessment

Gerst is committed to treating the remains with care, dignity, and recognition of the individuals they once were. Respect for both the deceased and the integrity of their bodies is a top priority, making the use of non-invasive methods a central ethical component of the project. He also views the research as part of a broader effort to re-individualize the mummies, based on the assumption that the tattoos held personal meaning for those who bore them.

Gerst states that he adheres to established guidelines and refers specifically to those of the German Museums Association and ICOM (International council of museums). Gerst emphasizes his collaborations with institutions and experts from the countries of origin to ensure the research is conducted ethically and transparently.

Gerst acknowledges several significant challenges in involving descendant communities or cultural groups potentially connected to the mummies: 1) Most mummies are undated, ranging anywhere from 8,000 to 500 years old, making cultural attribution difficult; 2) Provenance information is often vague, typically listed as simply "Peru" or "South America"; 3) There are limited ways to link pre-Hispanic, non-literate societies to groups from the colonial period; 4) The Andean region has undergone major shifts in self-identity over time; 5) In present-day Peru, no one holds formal Indigenous status; 6) None of the contemporary populations along the Peruvian coast identify with any pre-Hispanic cultural group.

The committee’s evaluation

In its ethical evaluation of the application, the committee uses the Guidelines for Ethical Research on Human Remains (National Committee for Research Ethics on Human Remains, 2022) as its primary reference. Where relevant, the committee may also consider other national and international research ethics guidelines.

The project demonstrated a solid methodological foundation, and the project leader has relevant experience from similar studies. The fact that the methods used are non-invasive further strengthens the application. Gerst’s ethical self-assessment demonstrates awareness and understanding of several key ethical considerations. Issues concerning respect for the remains and the individuals they represent are appropriately addressed. 

The project refers to “[g]uidelines such as those of the German Museums Association or ICOM” but does not cite specific documents or principles. Notably, it does not reference the guidelines that apply to Norway, Guidelines for Ethical Research on Human Remains (2022). To address these guidelines in more detail, specifically principles 4 and 5, would have strengthened the research request. 

The provenance (discovery context, geographical origin, methods of acquisition and ownership history) and dating of the seven mummified remains are unclear, and several questions remain unanswered. The remains are only generally described as originating “from the coasts of South America (present-day Peru and Chile)”, and no specific dating has been provided; they may be anywhere between 8,000 to 500 years old. According to principle 4 of the Guidelines for Ethical Research on Human Remains, “the provenance of the remains must be assessed and clarified in order for the research to be ethical”.

UEM3172’s geographical origin is listed as Peru1. While the committee acknowledges that there has long been uncertainty23 regarding the provenance of the six mummified remains at BAS, UiO (A4603-4608), the committee finds that the project does not sufficiently address or clarify the possible Peruvian or Chilean – or other - provenance of the other six mummified remains and therefore cannot recommend approval of the research at this stage.

The committee also raises concerns about the feasibility of the project’s aim – to correlate the tattoos with specific regions and cultures – given the unclear provenance and dating of the mummies.  

Moreover, without more precise information regarding provenance, it is not possible to determine the country of origin of the remains, nor whether they are connected to any specific group (Indigenous or otherwise). As such, it is not possible to adequately assess whether the research could lead to discrimination against, or injustice towards, any potential affected communities (as per principle 5). The committee concludes that greater effort must be made to identify such groups.

In absence of a clear connection to extant descendant communities, national cultural heritage authorities may provide the necessary support for the research. However, the lack of provenance makes it unclear whether it is the Peruvian or the Chilean authorities who have the right to approve access to the remains.

Conclusion

The committee acknowledges that the project is based on a solid and non-invasive methodological approach. However, it finds that the application does not sufficiently address critical ethical concerns related to provenance of the remains and the identification of potentially affected groups. On these grounds, the committee cannot support the project in its current form.

Yours sincerely 

Sean D. Denham, Chair 
Lene Os Johannessen, Secretariat