Uncloaking history: The ethics of digging up the past

Advances in DNA and forensics have spurred new interest in historical artifacts and the hidden messages they may hold for today.

By Andis Robeznieks, AMNews staff. June 28, 2004.

A bed sheet with a 139-year-old bloodstain lies inconspicuously tucked away in a box in a cabinet near the end of a maze-like storage area at the Chicago Historical Society.

As the box is reverently removed from the cabinet and opened, voices turn to whispers. It's believed the bloodstains are the result of a tragic incident involving a beloved historical figure, and a certain amount of decorum is called for.

Some believe the blood might answer questions about the physical and mental well-being of this country's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. But a team of bioethicists, historians, scientists and attorneys argue that the genetic testing being proposed might not be appropriate or worth the effort. They say there's no guarantee the blood actually came from Lincoln's fatal gunshot wound, and they question the historical value of the research and whether such an investigation would violate the medical privacy of Lincoln's living relatives.

Advances in forensic science and DNA technology have prompted new interest in testing historic items, but little thought has been given to setting limits or creating guidelines for such testing. The Chicago Historical Society, prompted by a growing number of inquiries about testing Lincoln relics, has decided some kind of policy is needed and is hoping theirs will prompt other museums and research institutions to set some policies of their own.

"We want people to stop and think and answer questions before they start with this analysis," said Nancy Buenger a CHS conservator and historian at the University of Chicago. "Is this good science? Is this an important historical question? Who is this going to affect? Is it justifiable?"