Notice2025-14267
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN, and Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Anthropology, Murfreesboro, TN
Primary source
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Published
July 29, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology (TDEC-DOA) and Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Anthropology (MTSU) have completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects from site 40RD299, Rutherford County, Tennessee and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 143 (Tuesday, July 29, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 29, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35713-35714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-14267]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6345; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040600; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN,
and Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Anthropology,
Murfreesboro, TN
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation, Division of Archaeology (TDEC-DOA) and Middle Tennessee
State University, Department of Anthropology (MTSU) have completed an
inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects from site
40RD299, Rutherford County, Tennessee and has determined that there is
a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated
funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in
this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary
objects in this notice may occur on or after August 28, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Phillip R. Hodge,
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of
Archaeology (TDEC-DOA), 1216 Foster Avenue, Cole Building #3,
Nashville, TN 37243, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#67370f0e0b492f0803000227130949000811"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7a2a1213165432151e1d1f3a0e14541d150c">[email protected]</span></a> and Dr. Shannon Hodge,
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), Department of Sociology and
Anthropology Chair, Todd 344 MTSU Campus Box 10, Murfreesboro, TN
37132, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c596ada4ababaaabeb8daaa1a2a085a8b1b6b0eba0a1b0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="edbe858c83838283c3a582898a88ad80999e98c3888998">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA.
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the
TDEC-DOA and MTSU, and additional information on the determinations in
this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in its
inventory or related records. The National Park Service is not
responsible for the determinations in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Human remains representing, at least, seven individuals have been
identified. The associated funerary objects are two lots of unsorted
pre-Contact artifacts.
409RD299, Rutherford County, TN
Human remains of at least four individuals were recovered by the
Rutherford County Sheriff during forensic investigations in 2004 or
2007 and donated to TDEC-DOA in 2010. The remains of at least one
individual were collected by TEC-DOA staff from the backdirt of a
looter pit during a site inspection in 2011. Remains of at least two
individuals were recovered during site mitigation and testing by Middle
Tennessee State University in 2014. Associated funerary objects
recovered in 2014 include two lots of unsorted artifacts known to
include lithics, charcoal, ochre, and faunal material including a
partial dog burial. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances
or treatments.
Cultural Affiliation
Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is reasonably identified by the geographical
location or acquisition
[[Page 35714]]
history of the human remains and associated funerary objects described
in this notice.
Determinations
The TDEC-DOA and MTSU have determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of seven individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The two lots of pre-contact artifacts described in this
notice are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with
or near individual human remains at the time of death or later as part
of the death rite or ceremony.
<bullet> There is a connection between the human remains and
associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Absentee-
Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Shawnee Tribe; The
Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and the United
Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the
authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES.
Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations identified in this notice.
2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a
preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal
descendant or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with
cultural affiliation.
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after August
28, 2025. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the
TDEC-DOA and MTSU must determine the most appropriate requestor prior
to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not
competing requests. The TDEC-DOA and MTSU is responsible for sending a
copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian
organizations identified in this notice.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: July 9, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-14267 Filed 7-28-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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