British museums ready to return skulls to Zimbabwe

Image source, Alamy

London's Natural History Museum and the University of Cambridge have said they are ready to cooperate with Zimbabwe to return human remains taken during colonial times.

The new statements come after a delegation from Zimbabwe held talks with officials from both institutions.

The Zimbabweans are searching for the skulls of late 19th century anti-colonial heroes, which they believe may be in the UK.

These have yet to be found.

Zimbabwe authorities have long suspected that the remains of some of the leaders of an uprising against British rule in the 1890s - known as the first Chimurenga - were taken to the UK as a trophy s.

The most important of these was a woman known as Mbuya Nehanda. She was executed in what is now the capital, Harare, and is revered as a national heroine.

Researching her archives, the Natural History Museum has discovered 11 remains "which appear to have originated in Zimbabwe" - but its records do not link them to Nehanda. These include three skulls taken in 1893 believed to be from Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, as well as remains discovered...