Chau Chak Wing Museum in Sydney, Australia returned 16 human skulls to Papua New Guinea last week.
The human skulls were taken during the 1876-77 expedition of the Rai Coast by Russian scientist Nickolai N. Miklouho-Maclay. He took the skulls as part of his research to prove that different ethnicities of humans were not significantly different – a very radical idea among 19th century anthropologists. Miklouho-Maclay landed in Sydney in 1878 and started working alongside naturalist William John Macleay, whose efforts later led to the establishment of Macleay Museum at Sydney University. After the death of Miklouho-Maclay, his wife donated the human skulls to the museum in 1878. They stayed there until 2020 when Chau Chak Wing Museum acquired the museum in 2020, thus also coming into the possession of the human skulls.
During a trip to the Rai Coast, the great-great nephew of Nicolai Miklouho-Maclay was made aware of the skulls and also requested for their return. After discussions with the Chau Chak Wing Museum, a decision was made to return the skulls to the 6 villages at Rai Coast from whom the skulls were taken.
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Last week, museum officials arrived at Rai Coast to repatriate the skulls in a traditional ceremony in the culture of the local tribes – involving dancing, singing and roasted pigs. Jack Simbou, an official in the Papuan New Guinea government, said: “These ancestors were taken by Nickolai almost 150 years ago, to support his work promoting one shared humanity. They departed the Rai Coast aboard a Russian Corvette and returned on a Boeing jet. Their journey spans time and distance and we extend gratitude to the Chau Chak Wing Museum for reuniting us.”
