The display of human remains at the new Stonehenge Visitor Centre

It has been announced that the exhibition at the new Stonehenge Visitor Centre will include human remains –  despite the fact some groups are totally opposed. See here, Stonehenge bone display endorsed by English Heritage governors. Irrespective of whether you find that offensive or not (and there are large numbers of sincere people in each camp) it is surely a tactical mistake, an unnecessary provocation that will prompt protests that are likely to divert attention from the opening and may then carry on indefinitely?

Displaying human remains at the Visitor Centre isn’t essential to its central purpose, the interpretation of the monument, so the planned display – which includes mounting an actual skeleton upright – is surely provocative, to say the least? Why bring a wider argument to such a prominent arena, one that receives international visitors many of whom wouldn’t encounter human remains on display in their own countries and would be deeply shocked? We think it’s a cert it will be abandoned sooner or later. So better sooner!