The common thread in all of these cases is the tension between two legitimate interests: the scientific interest in studying ancient remains to recover historical knowledge, and the cultural and spiritual interest of descendant or affiliated communities in the respectful treatment and return of ancestral remains.

These interests are not always irreconcilable.

The Ice Maiden’s case illustrates a model that has been adopted in other contexts as well: the remains are returned to the community of origin, housed in a facility that maintains appropriate physical preservation conditions, and made available for scientific study on a case-by-case basis with community involvement.

This model does not fully satisfy either side.

Scientists who believe that ongoing study of the remains could produce significant new knowledge may find the restrictions on access frustrating.