Module manager: Dr Rae Gillibrand
Email: R.Gillibrand@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Content Warning - This module explores human remains and historical practices of displaying bodies, including mummification, relics, and medical or public exhibitions. Some material may be graphic or upsetting. Students will have opportunities to engage with museum collections, but participation is optional, and support will be provided if needed. . This module invites you to explore the complex history of human bodies on display in Great Britain. From ancient religious practices to early scientific and medical exhibitions, we will examine how societies have displayed both living and deceased bodies for purposes of education, ritual, spectacle, and remembrance. You will investigate a wide range of historical and cultural contexts, that may include mummification, religious relics, funerary display, ‘freak shows’, medical and ethnographic exhibitions, and modern ‘plastinated’ bodies. Central to the module will be critical discussions about ethics, consent, commodification, and the cultural and political implications of display. The module also offers the chance to grapple with real-world challenges faced by the modern heritage industry in relation to the acquisition, display and repatriation of human remains. Students will have the opportunity to critically engage with collections in local museums and historic sites, exploring how human remains have been acquired, interpreted, and displayed. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
This module aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the complex historical and cultural significance of displaying human bodies. It seeks to encourage critical reflection on the ethical, political, and social dimensions of these practices, while exploring real-world examples from museums and heritage sites.
The objectives of this module are to:
- Cross-chronologically investigate the historical and cultural practices of displaying human bodies – seminar discussions will allow students to engage with a curated selection of primary and secondary sources relating to different historical periods, enabling them to develop a cross-chronological understanding of the topic.
- Encourage critical reflection on the ethical, political, and cultural dimensions of exhibiting human remains - seminars will offer a safe space to debate ethical dilemmas, analyse case studies, and examine cultural sensitivities. Facilitated discussions will encourage students to reflect on consent, commodification, and power dynamics in the display of human bodies.
- Explore how museums and heritage sites acquire, interpret, and display human remains, including contemporary challenges such as repatriation – Field trips provide experiential learning opportunities by allowing students to evaluate how institutions present human remains, compare practices across sites, and critically consider the effectiveness and implications of different approaches.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Critically analyse a range of interdisciplinary primary sources related to the display of human bodies in British history.
2. Apply secondary source material to support analysis of historical case studies, museum displays, or heritage practices.
3. Evaluate the ethical, political, and social implications of exhibiting human remains in the modern heritage sector, including issues of consent, repatriation, and cultural sensitivity.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Conduct independent research, identifying, selecting, and analysing appropriate primary source materials.
5. Engage with relevant secondary materials from a variety of disciplines to support independent investigation.
6. Communicate complex ideas effectively in both written and oral formats, supported by relevant evidence and adhering to academic conventions.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Seminars | 20 | 2 | 40 |
| Practicals | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Fieldwork | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Fieldwork | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Private study hours | 348.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 51.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 400 | ||
Semester 1 - Students will be invited to a one-to-one meeting with the module tutor during semester one in which students will receive oral feedback from the module tutor. This will include discussion of an essay plan for the upcoming essay assignment.
Semester 2 - Students will be invited to a one-to-one meeting with the module tutor during semester two in which students will receive oral feedback from the module tutor. This will include discussion of the plan for the upcoming presentation assignment.
Informal feedback will also be available in both semesters through in-class discussions and seminar-based peer review activities.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay | 50 |
| Coursework | Presentation | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team