Austria returns stolen remains of indigenous people to New Zealand

The remains of indigenous Maori and Moriori people will be received at Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand in Wellington. AFP - MARTY MELVILLE

The remains of indigenous Maori and Moriori people – most of them stolen by a notorious 19th-century Austrian grave-robber – are being sent home to New Zealand after 130 years.

Bones including craniums, calvaria (skulls without mandibles), loose mandibles, and maxilla (upper jaw) fragments will be welcomed to Te Papa, New Zealand's national museum, next month.