These Were People Once: The Online Trade in Human Remains and Why It Matters

People buy and sell human remains online. Most of this trade these days is over social media. In a study of this 'bone trade', how it works, and why it matters, the authors review and use a variety of methods drawn from the digital humanities to analyze the sheer volume of social media posts in search of answers to questions regarding this online bone trade. The answers speak to how the 21st century understands and constructs 'heritage' more generally: each person their own expert, yet seeking community and validation, and like the major encyclopedic museums, built on a kind of digital neocolonialist othering of the dead.

Author: Damien Huffer, Shawn Graham
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Published: 09/15/2023
Pages: 260
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.80w x 0.20d
ISBN: 9781805390862

About the Author

Damien Huffer is an osteoarchaeologist and interdisciplinary illicit trafficking researcher. He was most recently Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Social Science at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is one of the cofounders of the Alliance to Counter Crime Online.