Bodies of Africans Were Once Dug Up and Sent to Europe for Research. Now They Are Coming Home

March 26, 2026

South Africa has reburied the remains of at least 63 members of the Khoi and San communities, which were originally exhumed between 1868 and 1924 and sent to European institutions for scientific research. The remains had been held at The Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow and the Iziko Museums in South Africa before being repatriated following negotiations that began in 2022. President Cyril Ramaphosa described the original removal of these remains as a racist practice designed to support false theories of European racial superiority.

Who is affected

The Khoi and San communities (described as the earliest inhabitants of southern Africa)
President Cyril Ramaphosa
The Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow in Scotland
Iziko Museums in South Africa
Museum representatives and traditional leaders who attended the reburial
Former European colonies in Africa

What action is being taken

The remains of at least 63 members of the Khoi and San communities are being reburied in South Africa
A wider movement in Africa is bringing back remains and artifacts that were stolen or removed from the continent

Why it matters

This reburial is significant because it addresses historical injustices rooted in racism and colonialism, where African bodies were treated as commodities for pseudoscientific research intended to prove European racial superiority. The repatriation represents efforts to restore dignity to Indigenous peoples whose remains were desecrated and commodified. It is part of a broader movement across Africa to reclaim cultural heritage and human remains, and highlights ongoing demands for European countries to acknowledge colonial harms and consider reparations.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint