captureremains

captureremains is a term used in museum studies, archaeology, anthropology, and digital heritage to describe the practices involved in documenting, preserving, and managing physical remains and their digital records for research, education, and cultural memory. The term signals an approach that treats both the tangible remains and their informational surrogates as integral to interpretation, curation, and access. It is not a formally standardized discipline, but it appears in discussions around artifact handling, field documentation, and the digitization of heritage assets.

Scope and methods include field documentation and recovery, proper labeling and cataloging, and long-term storage of remains under climate-controlled conditions. Digital capture is often used to supplement physical preservation and can involve photogrammetry, 3D scanning, and CT imaging to create virtual replicas. Metadata standards, provenance records, and access policies help ensure traceability and responsible use of specimens and data.

Ethical and legal context emphasizes respect for source communities, consent, and cultural significance. In many jurisdictions, laws and guidelines govern the treatment and repatriation of human remains; for example, the United States' Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act requires consultation with descendant communities before disposition of remains. Professional codes of ethics from archaeological and museum associations also stress transparency, accountability, and community engagement.

See also: forensic anthropology, archiving, digital heritage, repatriation, 3D scanning, photogrammetry.