Online markets in the UK, especially Instagram platforms and electronic forums, have seen a noticeable increase in the display and sale of human remains, including teeth, skulls, and skeletal parts, raising significant concerns among anthropologists and ethics experts. The legal vacuum in the UK threatens to usher in a new era of “body snatching,” according to The Guardian. The controversy erupted after a necklace made of human teeth was spotted for sale, which Dr. Emma Bone, an anthropology expert at the University of London, described as “ethically unacceptable,” emphasizing that this trade dehumanizes the dead and turns them into commodities. Some sellers claim these remains are “legal” or “for educational purposes,” but academic sources confirm that most pieces lack documentation and may result from theft or illegal grave digging, especially in countries with weak burial heritage oversight.

Professor Dam Su Black, head of St John’s College, Oxford, said, “Some intrude into tombs and take remains to sell them to those who consider them gothic, exotic, or supernatural. Making a necklace from someone’s teeth is unacceptable to people.” Experts point out that one problem lies in law enforcement: in the UK, grave desecration is a crime, but remains are not legally considered property, so they cannot be “owned” or “stolen” legally. This means possessing or selling historical human remains is not necessarily a crime, even if extracted illegally. Dr. Trish Byers from Cambridge University’s anthropology department coordinates a task force at the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology (BABAO) investigating the sale and trafficking of human remains. She noted a significant increase in human remains sales in the UK in recent years.

Over the past five years, BABAO has prevented more than 200 sales, including from auction houses, shops, and online sellers. Scientific associations and international museums have called for stricter legislation banning the sale of human remains without proof of origin and criminalizing trafficking for commercial or decorative purposes. The Guardian showed images of ten skulls found for sale on Instagram and other UK forums to three forensic experts. Many were considered former anatomical teaching skulls, but some appeared covered in dirt or human tissue traces, suggesting recent excavations. One skull sold for £995 on a Belfast website, showing root damage indicating burial in soil. Another skull missing several teeth was marketed for £795 on a UK-based store site, stained with manganese oxide consistent with remains extracted from ancient graves.

Historically, skulls were used in medical education, but their online sale for decoration or “spiritual energy” purposes is a worrying development reflecting a shift in some societies’ views on death and human dignity. In the absence of clear legislation, this trade remains legally gray, calling for urgent intervention by authorities to protect the dignity of the dead and prevent their exploitation in unregulated markets.