For our project we're looking into Inca child sacrifice and I was exploring the internet for an website for our blog prompt, and stumbled upon the National Geographic site photography section. I was surprised to find that you can download an image of a child sacrifice for your computer wallpaper. The image itself is of the lower portion of the child's body in a crouching position. You cannot see the face of the child, but you can see the arm, hand, and feet of the child.
I found this somewhat disturbing - a place where you can download images of the remains of people for your computer wallpaper? It got me thinking, how I react to images of skeletons and mummies on the internet and how I react to images in our articles. Would I have reacted the same way if this image was not of a child or a mummy? Is the reason that you can download this image for the sole purpose of a computer background what startled me? How do these images on the internet affect you? Do you react differently to images that are in academic sources versus images that can be accessed for entertainment or for the general public as computer wallpaper?
Click here for the link... you can choose the size of wallpaper you want and find other images for computer wallpaper (there's also a image of an "iceman").
Mytch, I find this a bit startling as well. I think it is because this isn't just a skeleton where a person cannot make out identifying features, this is a young girl who looks like she is just sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, taking a nap. I think that you are right to feel confused. I keep relating it back to members of my family. If it was my family members who were found hundreds of years later, I would hope that she/he would be treated respectfully. The flip side is that when I was little one of my favourite books to get out of the library was a book on mummies and picture of Ötzi, the iceman. Does that me as bad as someone who has wallpaper? I think it's a fine line, but I personally think the wallpaper is a bit too much...
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