The Taiwanese Government have spoken out after it emerged Edinburgh University has four skulls in storage belonging to indigenous islanders.
The Taipei Representative Office said it would be a “significant” moment for the country if the university returned the skulls – as it would be the first time human remains had been returned as cultural relics.
“The repatriation will reconnect these skulls with their home soil, the history and the local community,” explained a government official.
The skulls were taken as gruesome trophies by Japanese soldiers during a revenge attack in 1874 and found their way to Edinburgh where they were left to gather dust in a university warehouse.
It wasn’t until a Taiwanese grad student, researching the history of the Paiwanese people, traced the skulls and contacted the university that their history came to light again.
Edinburgh Live reported last week on the student’s amazing detective work.
Edinburgh University refused to confirm if they had been in conversation with any Taiwanese representatives about the skulls when asked.
Now the Taiwanese government have broken their silence on the repatriation of the skulls.
In a statement given to Edinburgh Live, the Taipei Representative Office in the UK said that a formal request had yet to be made but return of the skulls would be ‘significant’ to Taiwan as it would be the first time human remains had been returned.
A government official said: “The Council of Indigenous Peoples is currently working with relevant parties in Taiwan before formal request could be proposed to University of Edinburgh, in hope of completing the repatriation in the near future.
“This is a significant case as it will be the first repatriation of human remains as cultural relics, according to the relevant authorities in Taiwan. The repatriation will reconnect these skulls with their home soil, the history and the local community.”
Last November the university returned the skulls of nine members of a Sri Lankan tribe to their descendent.
They had been part of the university's anatomical collection since being acquired at least a century ago.
Edinburgh University did not wish to add anything to its comment in the previous story at this time.
