KUCHING: A Niah Cave (NC) collection consisting of 116 human burials which was kept at University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) for decades will be returned to Sarawak in 2019.
This was disclosed by Sarawak Museum Department (SMD) Director Ipoi Datan in a press conference regarding SMD trip to UNLV (7 until 14 March 2017) at SMD Office in Jalan Barrack here, yesterday.
Ipoi said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SMD and UNLV has been signed and agreed, to transport the collection back to the state.
The NC collection was discovered by Tom and Barbara Harrisson in the years of 1947 until 1967. Besides numerous stone and bone tools, shells and potteries, 262 human burials were found at West Mouth, dating back from 40,000 to 1,000 years from now.
“Out of 262 human burials, 42 were kept in Kuching, one at British Museum, one at Natural History Museum Leiden and most were left in situ.
“Meanwhile, 116 burials were shipped to Nevada in 1966 and 1976 to be studied by Shelaigh and Richard Brooks, physical anthropologist and archaeologist, which after their retirements, the NC collection was brought to UNLV,” he stated.
Ipoi said, among the objectives of the MoU were to hand over possession (of the entire NC collection and copies of all its related research documents) to SMD in good condition; recognising the value of promoting educational cooperation for the advancement of knowledge and intellectual development;
These also include to establish a research collaboration in accordance with agreed procedures and guidelines: exchange of faculty and staff/students and exchange of material and to publish joint research results via heritage or museum related journals or online resources.
In addition, as their responsibilities, UNLV will hand over complete custody of the NC collection in good condition, unconditionally and without any incidental cost to SMD who will make further and necessary arrangement to bring it back to Kuching for final depository and curation in 2019.
UNLV also shall provide all data and records derived from previous researches conducted on the NC collection to SMD in which the material shall be in both hardcopy form and digital form.
“After the MoU signing on 8 March 2017, 33 boxes containing the human burials were handed over to SMD and were transported by land to University of Florida (UFL) Gainesville.
“SMD bears all expenses for costs of transportation and specialized packaging of the NC collection to UFL for temporary safekeeping and consolidation,” said Ipoi, adding SDM also has signed a MoU with UFL on 13 March 2017.
Objectives of the MoU between SDM and UFL were temporary safekeeping and consolidation of the NC collection at UFL upon its handing over by UNLV to SMD where UFL will assist in sending back the collection to SMD in 2019;
Research collaboration: exchange of staffs/students, expertise in analysis, documentation and conservation laboratory set-up as well as publication of joint research results via heritage or museum related journals or online resources.
Besides, as their responsibilities, UFL will fully recognise the entire NC collection as the property of SMD and guarantees it’s on time return to SMD in a condition that ensures accession, curation and future analysis.
He added, UFL will secure and arrange for all necessary clearance procedures and documents from United States government or relevant agencies while SMD will facilitate the same arrangement with Malaysia and Sarawak governments for the shipment of the NC collection back to SMD in 2019.
UFL also will arrange for its safe transportation and eventual safekeeping and curation in Florida until its eventual shipment back to SMD in 2019.
“In addition, UFL will conduct relevant scientific study, including some minimally destructive analysis such as isotopic analysis and ancient DNA research on a subsample of the NC collection; also, while conducting research on the NC collection, UFL must be prepared to receive and impart its expertise and guidance to SMD staffers and associates who may come to visit UFL on attachment or study trip.
“UFL will assist or supervise SMD in the establishment of a suitable and proper repository for the NC collection and related remains in the new Sarawak Museum Campus in 2017 and 2018 and UFL shall provide all data and records deriving from researches conducted on the NC collection to SMD in which the material shall be in both hardcopy form and digital form,” explained Ipoi.
During their trip to UNLV, SMD took the opportunity to visit some museums in Florida such as Paynes Nature Park, Matheson Museum, Natural History Museum of Florida and Harn Museum of Art.
