Aboriginal body parts that scientists and explorers took to Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries can be returned to Australia, after the enactment of a new British law.
The British Museum and the Natural History Museum are among nine institutions that now plan to return human remains to indigenous communities around the world.
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The newly enacted section of the Human Tissue Act allows museums to return remains that "are reasonably believed to be under 1000 years in age".
A spokeswoman for the British Museum said the museum had pushed for the legal change and was absolutely committed to returning human remains, provided that Aboriginal communities could prove a link to the items.
They're a bit late to the party on this since they're not dealing with aboriginal populations on their home turf, as the US has. It ought to be interesting how the criteria above get applied in the real world.
And some more repatriation news here on efforts by the Burke Museum in Seattle to test objects for toxic chemicals before sending them back.