Hello there! Is there anybody there? We may have been quiet for (oh dear) six years, but we're still here! We've not gone anywhere. And neither has the need for a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK. Things have moved on since we last talked, however.
Europe has got its first HTF, at long last! The ARISTA facility opened its doors in 2018, and since then has been inundated with researchers requesting to use it. And a lot of these researchers are from the UK, as the geographical proximity of the Netherlands to the UK means that it is (relatively) easy to access and the climatic conditions in Amsterdam are broadly similar to those in the UK. ARISTA is termed a 'forensic cemetery', which means that all the donor bodies are buried 'sub-surface'. This means that, if you were to walk past, or go in, you wouldn't be able to see the donor cadavers. This perhaps is a more publicly acceptable, less objectionable layout for an HTF, and one that the UK would probably follow/copy/emulate if an HTF was established here. You can find out more about how the ARISTA site was set up here.
In addition, the first HTF was opened in Canada, at the Trois Rivieres University in Quebec. It was established by Professor Shari Forbes, who previously was Director of the AFTER facility in Sydney, Australia. Rumour has it that she is now intending the establish a second HTF in Canada.
There are now 11 HTFs around the world, but there still isn't one in the UK. Members of HTF4UK, Anna Williams, Chris Rogers and John Cassella wrote an article about why the UK needs one. John Cassella was also very vocal in the media about how the UK is wasting time and falling behind the rest of the world by not having one.
So, we may have been quiet for a while, but we are still here, and still as determined as ever to raise awareness of the benefits of human taphonomy facilities and the fact that the UK does not have one yet, as many people just assume that one exists already.
If you are interested in supporting the cause, donating to a facility once it is established, or just want to ask a question or express your support, please email Professor Anna Williams on awilliams34@uclan.ac.uk.
