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Kelvingrove Museum Removes Egyptian Mummies Over Consent Concerns
By Drooid · · How we work
Mummies Removed from Kelvingrove Display
Glasgow Life, the charitable arm of Glasgow City Council, has taken several Egyptian human remains off public view at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Items removed include a painted coffin containing the priest Nekht, a mummified male head, a right hand recovered from the Valley of the Kings, and a right foot. The museum now displays a sign stating the remains have been removed “as a mark of respect.” Glasgow Life said the action reflects “contemporary museum practice” and that work is under way to remove additional remains from the History Discovery Centre, the Scotland’s Early People gallery, and the St Mungo Museum.
Background & Context
Since its opening in 1901, Kelvingrove has attracted more than three million visitors annually, with the Egyptian galleries long serving as a marquee attraction. Traditional museum practice has displayed mummies alongside coffins, jewellery and funerary objects to illustrate ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife. A draft Human Remains Policy from Glasgow Life proposes that displays be limited to cases where documented, informed consent from the deceased individual—or, where appropriate, their descendants—can be demonstrated.
Official Statements & Responses
A Glasgow Life spokesman explained that the removal “reflects contemporary museum practice” and cited the updated ICOM code and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afrikan Reparations 2025 report “Laying Ancestors to Rest,” which raises ethical concerns about displaying ancient Egyptian remains without consent. The organization indicated that further removals will continue across its museum portfolio.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We have removed human remains from this display as a mark of respect.” — Glasgow Life