What is Bodies to Bones?

History

Bodies to Bones (BtB) started in the summer of 1995, when a mammalogist friend of mine working in a museum suggested that I processed animal carcases collected by museums, which no longer had the facilities to deal with them themselves. Being an ex-archaeologist and knowing people in various institutions, word spread amongst the university archaeological community. Most university archaeology departments teach archaeozoology and run training excavations for students both of which require skeletal material, for teaching and the identification of bone fragments from archaeological sites. The majority of work is now done for universities in North America, Canada, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and throughout the United kingdom with only a small proportion carried out for museums, mainly in Scotland, Belgium and Austria.

Ethical Considerations

The majority of animal carcases are obtained from museums (usually following a freezer breakdown), government and other national and international conservations organisations, universities, licenced gamedealers and veterinary surgeons. The rest are found on the road by friends and family. Because the majority of the animals are either road kills or shot game, most will have some damaged bones. BtB has letters of authorisation for all material obtained from the above organisations and, where appropriate, Individual Sales Licences from the Rural Affairs Dept. of the Scottish Executive or the Dept. of the Environment, European Wildlife Division (please see Disclaimer). No animals are ever killed solely to provide skeletons for BtB.

Disclaimer

1) All carcases are legally sourced with full documentation, where appropriate, particularly Schedule 5 species as defined in the "Wildlife and Countryside Act" of 1982.

2) Bodies to Bones is licensed by the Department of the Environment (European Wildlife Division) and the Scottish Department of Rural Affairs to sell carcases or parts thereof, including skeletons, for scientific and/or educational purposes.

3) Skeletons are normally sold to Universities, Museums or other official institututions, and freelance archaeozoologists, biologists etc.

4) It is up to individuals in other countries to check for themselves the legal situation with regard to the importation of animal skeletons into their country from the UK