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johnsolomon t1_j5mejmk wrote

I get what they're trying to do (increase the treatment and baseline level of respect for the corpses of deceased humans) but I'm not sure this is the way to do it lol

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Kalurael t1_j5nzyd8 wrote

surely the baseline level of respect for a corpse is not parade them around on display in a museum

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FriendoftheDork t1_j5o39jd wrote

I mean, they did that for Lenin out of respect

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Kalurael t1_j5o55h0 wrote

and the irish giant, even though he specifically said he did not want that. only just got taken down this month

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dukeimre t1_j5mrffv wrote

It sounds silly but honestly as long as they're not canceling people who say mummy it seems like a nice (incredibly tiny) step to take that can help society rethink some of this stuff.

I know for myself, as a kid, it never occurred to me that all the Egyptian stuff in museums was looted during occupation of Egypt by foreigners who saw the locals as savages. I think it's an ok idea for people who feel like it and really care about how society thinks about history to tweak the way they talk about these things!

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Steven-Maturin t1_j5o3pfj wrote

"looted during occupation of Egypt by foreigners who saw the locals as savages"

The Ptolemies?

oh wait, the Romans.

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dukeimre t1_j5oj6h3 wrote

I personally haven't hung out in an galleries in Rome looking at looted Egyptian art. I'm thinking more of the British! :)

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CandidateDecent1391 t1_j5mjqna wrote

lol what on earth is wrong with adapting archaeological terminology to encourage learning

a "mummy" isn't an alien, it's the preserved remains of a human who once lived and breathed. that distinction is what fascinates people about history.

the weirdest part is the OP chimed in and claimed it's "virtue signaling" as though some librul somewhere is trying not to offend a dead guy lol

edit: thanks for the downvotes, everybody! everyone I've upset should go look up the words "learning," "perspective," and "historical accuracy" in the dictionary and maybe start there :) then learn to stop creating outrage bait just so you can complain about people (in this case, archaeologists and museum officials) being smarter than you! (good luck lol)

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Fanwhip t1_j5p9du2 wrote

For your whole "Learning language" stick your trying to use.

Mummy: Noun (especially in ancient Egypt) a body of a human being or animal that has been ceremonially preserved by removal of the internal organs, treatment with natron and resin, and wrapping in bandages.

Mummifed: Verb 1) to make (a dead body) into a mummy, as by embalming and drying.2) to make (something) resemble a mummy; dry or shrivel up3) to preserve (an idea, institution, custom, etc.) that may have outlived its usefulness or relevance:

For the whole "virtue signaling"

Virtue Signaling : the public expression of opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one's good character or social conscience or the moral correctness of one's position on a particular issue.

" But some museums in Britain are now using words other than "mummy" to describe their displays of ancient Egyptian human remains. Instead, they are starting to adopt terms such as "mummified person" or to use the individual's name to emphasize that they were once living people. "

When the shoe still fits sometimes it means you don't need new ones. Specially if the new ones are in the same condition's as the old ones.

I.e they are going from an noun to a verb for the same object that needed 0 change to it. So they can feel better about decades and century's of encouraging theft via "exploring" and the fact the things they have are by definition an object.

If they want to "change" how the world see's the body's and the lives the body's did have. they should give up every single part of every single exhibit back to the respective places they came from. So they could either be reburied. As much of it was stolen or taken without permission or for the country to be the one properly showing it off and taking care of it.

Encourage learning to the world by returning the stolen goods and apologizing for showing stolen them off and profiting from it vs doing a name change.

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melody_elf t1_j5qopex wrote

If words don't matter then why are you in a tiff about it? Personally I don't really care if people call them mummies, mummified persons, flibbergibbits or paper deadlings.

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Fanwhip t1_j5ri63a wrote

Same reason Reddit is for anyone that wants to type what ever and give opinons.

If folks wanna go "this is For X reason" and looking at it from the whole picture there is no difference. Then the reasoning is false and just done for "karma" points. Do something tangible if your doing it for X reason. Words can be as strong or weak as others deem them. Actions speak louder then words and changing a word for your action makes the action worth less then the word.

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melody_elf t1_j5riuvk wrote

I see the point about how they were stolen from Egypt. When I visited the British Museum it felt uncomfortable knowing that everything there was taken from other countries.

At the same time, Egypt is a very unstable country so I don't know how safe the mummies and artifacts would be there. There are some radical factions that pretty much want to destroy anything from before Islam.

Another factor is that, when these artifacts are over the world, it lets many more people see them and learn and enjoy history than if they were in Egypt.

On the other hand, these are people who were stolen from their graves and there is definitely something disturbing about that.

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Fanwhip t1_j5rjgm2 wrote

As a joke once said.
What is the difference between grave robbing and archeology?

The "answer" verys on POV.

Honestly it comes down to "Are they claiming its preserving something?" or "they selling it for money"

Either way money is changing hands somewhere and only one is more "acceptable" then the other is.

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Steven-Maturin t1_j5o3tsh wrote

Control of language is everything to these brainiacs. As long as we're all using the right words everything is super-OK.

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Fanwhip t1_j5p9tk2 wrote

>mummy

It Sucks folks are down voting you cause its a very true statement.
As long as its something they okayed to be used. Then it "should be used by all" even if them using the new word doesn't change anything.

Still showing off mostly stolen objects/bodys. Still making money off said objects/bodys. Maybe they should return all of them to the national country before trying to go "we are outstanding and exemplary people"

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