Institutional or governmental guidelines for obtaining permission to analyse ancient individuals vary and do not always ensure ethical and engaged research.
Researchers have an obligation to meet a higher standard than some governing bodies may require, but there is no consensus on what this entails.
Increasingly, publications on ancient DNA have included statements describing how the research team addressed ethical issues, a development that we support.
Notably lacking has been a statement on ethics co-signed by an internationally diverse and representative group of scholars engaged in ancient DNA research.
We convened more than 60 archaeologists, anthropologists, curators and geneticists representing more than 30 countries and diverse global communities for a virtual workshop on ethics on 4 and 5 November 2020.
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All participants are committed to carrying out research on DNA from human remains that is ethically responsible and sensitive to diverse perspectives held by stakeholders (people who have a connection to a study, including descendant communities, those responsible for the stewardship of human remains, and researchers).
Here we present case studies from a variety of global contexts to illustrate the breadth of issues surrounding community and Indigenous group consultation, highlighting how the relevant issues vary worldwide. We then provide guidelines for DNA research on human remains that apply globally.
