The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh Changes Display Policy on Human Remains

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh adopted a new policy on the display of human remains, which is ending the 124-year exhibit of a famed taxidermy diorama, reported local news station WESA on Wednesday.

In September, the Carnegie Museum’s board of trustees voted to end the display of human remains without consent, according to museum director Gretchen Baker.

The taxidermy diorama “Lions Attacking a Dromedary” came to the Carnegie Museum, where it has been a mainstay at the institution, since 1899. It was sold to the Carnegie in 1898 by New York’s American Museum of Natural History, which housed it since its creation by French taxidermists in the 1860s.

Intended to show a scene in the deserts of North Africa, the diorama depicted a dark-skinned human figure—containing a real skull—mounted on a camel, as two lions attacked (one appearing to have been killed by the armed man).

Since the museum initially discovered the skull in 2017, it has been a point of controversy.

Last week, the skull was removed from the sculpted face and the windows of the diorama’s glass case were covered in an opaque vinyl. A sign was added next to the case, reading, “Why is the diorama changing?”

The museum has chosen not to reconstruct the rider’s face. The skull is currently undergoing tests to determine its origin for potential repatriation.

Beyond the improper display of human remains, the original title “Arab Courier Attacked By Lions” also sparked debate.

The museum temporarily removed the exhibit from display in 2020. In 2021, it reopened with signs contextualizing the history and inaccuracies, as well as the 2017 maintenance, of the piece.

The Carnegie also recently removed the skull and bones of an individual, which had been used to illustrate archaeology and ancient burial practices, from its Hall of Egypt in accordance with its new policy. This policy also applies to casts made from human remains.

Earlier this week, Philadelphia’s Penn Museum changed its policy to stop the display of exposed human remains altogether within the institution.