Key Concepts:
- Colonial Skulls: Human skulls originating from former colonies, often acquired through looting, theft, or trade during the colonial era.
- Race Science: A discredited pseudoscientific belief used to justify racism and colonialism, involving the measurement and study of human remains to prove the supposed superiority of certain races.
- Ancestral Skulls: Skulls of ancestors that hold deep spiritual and cultural significance for certain communities, often used for communication with the dead and kept in sacred places.
- Provenance: The history of ownership of a valued object or work of art or literature.
- Repatriation: The return of cultural artifacts or human remains to their country or community of origin.
The Market for Human Skulls
The video begins by documenting the open sale of human skulls at a market in Belgium, where a buyer purchases a human lower jaw. The market features a wide array of dead creatures and human skulls, with many visitors seemingly unconcerned by the presence of human remains. The origins of these skulls are often unclear, with some potentially dating back over a century to the colonial era.
Colonial Origins and the Trade in Skulls
The investigation reveals that many skulls at the market originate from former colonies in Africa, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. Dealers openly discuss the colonial origins of the skulls, acknowledging that they were often acquired through theft, trade, or racist research practices. One dealer displays a skull from Borneo priced at €50,000 and another shows a severed Māori head priced at €100,000.
German Colonial History and the Looting of Skulls
The video delves into Germany's colonial past, highlighting the brutal domination of local populations, the seizure of land and resources, and the looting of graves. During the German genocide in Namibia, the heads of victims were severed and shipped to Germany for scientific study, aimed at proving the superiority of the white race. Around 17,000 human remains are still stored in German museums and collections.
Legal Loopholes and the Trade in Human Skulls
Daniel Vine, a curator at the Museum of Nature in Hamburg, explains that trading in human skulls is not automatically illegal under international law. While trading in protected plants, animals, and seashells is strictly penalized, human skulls are not protected unless it can be proven that a crime like theft or murder was committed. This loophole allows the trade in colonial skulls to continue.
The Search for Repatriation
Mika Ailkinga, a researcher from Cameroon, is searching for skulls from Cameroon held in German collections, aiming to return them to their homeland. He has identified 10 skulls from Cameroon at the University of Göttingen, dating back to German colonial rule. He expresses disbelief that the trade in colonial skulls still exists, emphasizing the deep spiritual meaning and cultural significance of ancestral skulls for communities in Cameroon.
The Online Trade in Skulls
The investigation uncovers a vast network of collectors and dealers trading human skulls on Instagram. Many of these skulls appear to date from the colonial period, originating from former colonies in Africa, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. One English seller with 73,000 followers is identified as a major player in the online trade.
Henry Scrag and the Skull Trade
Henry Scrag, an English seller, runs a shop and sells skulls online, claiming to have sold thousands. He sources bones from private collections, museums, and medical institutions. He acknowledges that skulls with tribal significance or deformities are more valuable. He displays Bama skulls from Cameroon, dating back to the German colonial period, but remains unconcerned about the potential injustice connected to the trade.
The Pain of Colonial History
Manako Sururu Moro from Tanzania, another former German colony, has been searching for the skull of Mangi Melly, a resistance fighter hanged by German colonial forces. He finds it disturbing that the trade in stolen skulls is still tolerated, viewing them as visual representations of horrendous colonial violence.
Christa Bloom and the Ancestral Skull
Christa Bloom inherited an ancestral skull from New Guinea from her missionary grandparents. She discovered that her grandparents were part of a system of colonial violence, destroying local culture and identity. She is determined to return the skull to Papua New Guinea.
The Auction of an Ancestral Skull
An auction house in Vertborg prepares to sell an ancestral skull from the Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea. The skull is sold for €9,000 to an anonymous online bidder. Collectors interviewed express the view that these artifacts are better off in Europe, where they are better cared for.
Tracing the History of the Sepik Skull
The investigation traces the history of the Sepik skull back to a German explorer who brought it to Germany for race science. The explorer took remains from victims of the German genocide in Namibia and documented his findings in research reports. The report mentions village number 25, Chess Bandai, as the origin of the Sepik skull.
Finding a Descendant
Gideon Marlo, owner of the Crocodile Lodge in Papua New Guinea, helps locate Peter Kipma, a descendant from village 25. Peter Kipma recalls stories from his grandfather about the skulls being taken by white men. He expresses sorrow that ancestors are being sold for profit.
Conclusion
The video concludes that the trade in human skulls is a symbol of repressed crimes and a reminder of the pain of colonial rule. It emphasizes the need to face this dark chapter of history and acknowledge the deep spiritual and cultural significance of ancestral skulls for communities in former colonies.
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