[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 137 (Monday, July 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41884-41885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-17481]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Inventory Completion: Georgia Department of
Transportation, Atlanta, GA; University of West Georgia, Carrollton,
GA; and University of Georgia, Athens, GA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the
completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary
objects in the control of the Georgia Department of Transportation,
Atlanta, GA, and in the possession of the University of West Georgia,
Carrollton, GA, and the University of Georgia, Athens, GA. The human
remains were removed from Richmond County, GA.
This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3). The
determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the
museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the Native
American human remains and associated funerary objects. The National
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the Georgia
Department of Transportation professional staff in consultation with
representatives of the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma;
Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town,
Oklahoma; Catawba Indian Nation (aka Catawba Tribe of South Carolina);
Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe
of Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina;
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Kialegee Tribal Town, Oklahoma;
Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; Mississippi Band of Choctaw
Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Oklahoma; Poarch Band of
Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe
of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa
Reservations); Shawnee Tribe, Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town,
Oklahoma; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in
Oklahoma.
From November 1980 to January 1981, and during the summer of 1991,
the Lover's Lane Site (9RI86), near the Savannah River, Richmond
County, GA,
[[Page 41885]]
was excavated under Georgia Department of Transportation contracts, RR-
0001(001) and F-117-1(11), as part of the construction of the Bobby
Jones Expressway in Augusta, GA. The earlier excavations recovered
associated funerary objects from two possible cremations, although the
human remains were not removed and are not found in the collection.
These funerary objects are in the possession of the University of
Georgia. In 1991, human remains representing a minimum of two
individuals and associated funerary objects were removed, and are in
possession of the University of West Georgia. No known individuals were
identified. The 30 associated funerary objects are 4 quartz debitage,
13 chert debitage, 3 metavolcanic debitage, 8 fiber/sand/grit tempered
sherds, 1 chert projectile point, and 1 raw material.
The human remains from the Lover's Lane Site (9RI86) are believed
to be associated with the Late Archaic based on the analysis of the
associated funerary objects. The associated funerary objects include
recognized Late Archaic ceramics and projectile points. In addition,
cremations are a recognized Archaic burial practice in the Tennessee
River Valley, but otherwise unknown in the Southeast. In the Northeast,
however, Late Archaic cremations are slightly more common and date to
roughly 4200-2985 B.P. or 2250-1035 B.C. Given this evidence, the human
remains are likely prehistoric Native American.
Officials of the Georgia Department of Transportation have
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains
described above represent the physical remains of two individuals of
Native American ancestry. Officials of the Georgia Department of
Transportation also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C.
3001(3)(A), the 30 associated funerary objects described above are
reasonably believed to have been placed with or near individual human
remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite or
ceremony. Lastly, officials of the Georgia Department of Transportation
have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of
shared group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native
American human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-
day Indian tribe.
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review
Committee (Review Committee) is responsible for recommending specific
actions for disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains. In
July 2009, the Georgia Department of Transportation requested that the
Review Committee recommend the disposition of the culturally
unidentifiable Native American human remains and associated funerary
objects to the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma,
as the human remains were found within the tribe's aboriginal and
historical territory. The Review Committee considered the proposal at
its October 30-31, 2009, meeting and recommended disposition of the
culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains and associated
funerary objects to the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in
Oklahoma.
The Secretary of the Interior agreed with the Review Committee's
recommendation. A March 4, 2010, letter from the Designated Federal
Official, writing on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior,
transmitted the authorization for the Georgia Department of
Transportation to effect disposition of the physical remains of the
culturally unidentifiable human remains to the United Keetoowah Band of
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma contingent on the publication of a Notice
of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills
that requirement. In the same letter, the Secretary recommended the
transfer of the associated funerary objects to the Indian tribe listed
above to the extent allowed by Federal, state, or local law.
Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary
objects should contact Eric Anthony Duff, Cultural Resources Section
Chief, Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Environmental
Services-16th Floor, One Georgia Center, 600 West Peachtree St. NW,
Atlanta, GA 30308, telephone (404) 631-1071, before August 18, 2010.
Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma may proceed after
that date if no additional claimants come forward.
The Georgia Department of Transportation is responsible for
notifying the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama-
Coushatta Tribes of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma;
Catawba Indian Nation; Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation,
Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians of North Carolina; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Kialegee
Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida;
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek)
Nation, Oklahoma; Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole
Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress,
Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa Reservations); Shawnee Tribe, Oklahoma;
Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Oklahoma; and the United Keetoowah Band of
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, that this notice has been published.
Dated: July 9, 2010
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2010-17481 Filed 7-16-10; 8:45 am]
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