Notice2025-15398
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN
Primary source
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Published
August 14, 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) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects from Cumberland, Dekalb, Fentress, Jackson, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, White, and Wilson Counties, TN, 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 155 (Thursday, August 14, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 155 (Thursday, August 14, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39220-39221]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15398]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6408; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040802; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology, Nashville, 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) has completed an
inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects from
Cumberland, Dekalb, Fentress, Jackson, Morgan, Overton, Pickett,
Putnam, Smith, White, and Wilson Counties, TN, 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 September 15, 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#12427a7b7e3c5a7d76757752667c3c757d64"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="702018191c5e381f14171530041e5e171f06">[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 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, 80 individuals have been
identified. The 16 associated funerary objects are 10 artifacts, and
six lots of artifacts described below.
Site 40CU8, Cumberland County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. No
information is available regarding the circumstances surrounding the
acquisition of these remains. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Unknown Site, Cumberland County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
were collected in the 1970s and donated to the University of Tennessee
Forensic Center before being transferred to TDEC-DOA in 2015. No
information exists as to the circumstances surrounding their
collection. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or
treatments.
Site 40DK57, DeKalb County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. No
information is available regarding the circumstances surrounding the
acquisition of these remains. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Unknown Sites, Fentress County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, six individuals. Remains of
at least two individuals were donated to TDEC-DOA by the Knox County
Forensic Center. Remains of at least three individuals were excavated
by PE Cox in 1928 from a rockshelter in Fentress County, Tennessee,
later loaned by the Tennessee State Museum to the State Library and
Archives, and later transferred to the Division of Archaeology in 1995.
Remains of at least one individual were transferred from the Tennessee
State Museum to TDEC-DOA in 1995, however no information exists as to
the circumstances surrounding original collection. There is no known
exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40JK12, Jackson County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, 10 individuals were collected
from burial features. The six associated funerary objects are six soil
samples. Stone box burials from site 40JK12 were salvaged during a
project led by TDEC-DOA staff in 1972. There is no known exposure to
hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40JK25, Jackson County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, 22 individuals. The six
associated funerary objects are two eastern box turtle tibae and four
lots of artifacts that include fauna and lithics. Excavations at site
40JK25 were conducted by the Tennessee Department of Conservation in
1976 prior to reconstruction of State Route 53. There is no known
exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Unknown Site, Morgan County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, nine individuals. The one
associated funerary object is one lot of artifacts that includes faunal
and lithics. These materials were donated to TDEC-DOA by the Knox
County Medical Examiner in 2020. No information exists as to the
circumstances surrounding their collection. There is no known exposure
to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40OV166, Overton County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals. These
remains were looted from a rockshelter and seized by the Tennessee
Methamphetamine Taskforce and donated to TDEC-DOA in 2011. There is no
known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Unknown Sites, Overton County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals. The one
associated funerary object is one lot of artifacts that includes fauna
and lithics. Remains of at least two individuals and one lot of AFOs
were donated to the Tennessee State Museum and transferred to the
Division of Archaeology in 2021. Remains of at least one individual
were donated to TDEC-DOA by a private individual in 2025. There is no
known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Unknown Site, Pickett County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals. The two
associated funerary objects are two ceramic vessel fragments. Remains
of one individual and two ceramic vessel fragments were donated to the
Tennessee State Museum and transferred to TDEC-DOA in 2017. Remains of
at least, two individuals, were donated to TDEC-DOA by the Pickett
County Sheriff. No information exists as to the circumstances
surrounding their collection. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Unknown Site, Putnam County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
were donated to TDEC-DOA in 1989. No record exists as to the donor, or
original
[[Page 39221]]
circumstances of collection. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Site 40SM4, Smith County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These
ancestral remains were collected by TDEC-DOA staff in 1972 during a
site survey. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or
treatments.
Unknown Site, Smith County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, four individuals. No record
exists as to the donor, original circumstances, or date of acquisition
for these remains. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances
or treatments.
Site 40WH99, White County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals. Remains of
at least one individual were collected by TDEC-DOA staff in 1987 from
looter pits. No information is available regarding the acquisition of
at least two individuals. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Unknown Site, White County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals. Remains of
at least one adult individual were collected by a private individual
and donated to TDEC-DOA in 2009. Remains of at least two individuals
were donated to TDEC-DOA by the White County Sheriff in 2010. There is
no known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40WI1, Wilson County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. TDEC-DOA
staff conducted excavations at 40WI1 in 1974 that resulted in the
recovery of this single ancestor from within the footprint of a wall
trench structure. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or
treatments.
Unknown Site, Wilson County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, nine individuals. Remains of
at least one individual were recovered in Wilson County and donated to
TDEC-DOA. Remains of at least eight individuals were discovered by law
enforcement in Wilson County and transferred to TDEC-DOA in 2007. 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 history of the human remains and associated
funerary objects described in this notice.
Determinations
The TDEC-DOA has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 80 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 16 objects 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 Cherokee
Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation;
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 September
15, 2025. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the
TDEC-DOA 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 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 31, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-15398 Filed 8-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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