Notice2025-23195
Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
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Published
December 18, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects 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 241 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 241 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59173-59175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23195]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6747; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041504; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of Anthropology,
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
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 Department of Anthropology, University
of South Florida has completed an inventory of human remains and
associated funerary objects 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 January 20, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Thomas J. Pluckhahn,
Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler
Avenue, SOC 107, Tampa, FL 33620-8100, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fc888c90899f97949d9492bc898f9ad2999889"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d2a6a2bea7b1b9bab3babc92a7a1b4fcb7b6a7">[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
Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida 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, 76 individuals have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #1 (HCM Boxes 6, 8, 9; SOC125 Boxes A, B, C, and D; USFAC
Boxes 8A, E, and F; SPHM Box 5; USF Anthropology Biolaboratory).'' The
27 associated funerary objects are: one fragment of pottery and 26 non-
human animal bones. These 12 boxes each include numerous small bags
that are either un-labelled or labelled only by element. Overlapping
catalogue numbers/numbering systems suggest the human
[[Page 59174]]
remains have been mixed. We have not been able to locate any
inventories with corresponding catalogue numbers. Box labels indicate
that some of these human remains were obtained by donations from the
Hillsborough County Museum (the predecessor to the Museum of Science
and Industry) and the St. Petersburg History Museum, probably sometime
in the 1980s. Neither these of these institutions, nor USF
Anthropology, have records documenting these acquisitions/donations.
However, the taphonomy is consistent with a pre-Columbian age and we
assume these might have been associated with collections known to be
from Florida archaeological sites. We are not aware of the presence of
any potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the human
remains.
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #2 (USFAC Box A, Catalogue #s: USFAC-012, FL-009, USFAC-013,
II-90).'' There are no associated funerary objects. This collection
consists of a single box with two bags labelled ``misc juvenile.'' We
have not been able to locate any inventories with corresponding
catalogue numbers or any records documenting the acquisition of these
human remains. However, the taphonomy is consistent with a pre-
Columbian age and we assume these might have been associated with
collections known to be from Florida archaeological sites. We are not
aware of the presence of any potentially hazardous substances used to
treat any of the human remains.
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #3 (USFAC Box B, Catalogue #s: USFAC-030, USFAC-026, USFAC-
023).'' There are no associated funerary objects. This collection
consists of a single box with four bags labelled only by number or as
``unassociated remains.'' We have not been able to locate any
inventories with corresponding catalogue numbers or any records
documenting the acquisition of these human remains. However, the
taphonomy is consistent with a pre-Columbian age and we assume these
might have been associated with collections known to be from Florida
archaeological sites. We are not aware of the presence of any
potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the human
remains.
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #4 (USFAC Box C, Catalogue #s: USFAC-022, USFAC-018, FL-002,
FL-016).'' There are no associated funerary objects. This collection
consists of a single box with two bags labelled only by number. We have
not been able to locate any inventories with corresponding catalogue
numbers or any records documenting the acquisition of these human
remains. However, the taphonomy is consistent with a pre-Columbian age
and we assume these might have been associated with collections known
to be from Florida archaeological sites. We are not aware of the
presence of any potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of
the human remains.
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #5 (USFAC Box D, Catalogue #s USFAC-019, USFAC-009).'' There
are no associated funerary objects. This collection consists of a
single box with two bags labelled only by number or as ``unidentified
human remains, no provenience.'' We have not been able to locate any
inventories with corresponding catalogue numbers or any records
documenting the acquisition of these human remains. However, the
taphonomy is consistent with a pre-Columbian age and we assume these
might have been associated with collections known to be from Florida
archaeological sites. We are not aware of the presence of any
potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the human
remains.
Human remains representing, at least, four individuals have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #6 (SPHM Box 1).'' There are no associated funerary objects.
This collection consists of a single box with 10 bags labelled only by
element. The box label indicates that these human remains were obtained
by donations from the St. Petersburg History Museum, probably sometime
in the 1980s. Neither this institution, nor USF Anthropology, has
records documenting these acquisitions/donations. However, the
taphonomy is consistent with a pre-Columbian age and we assume these
might have been associated with collections known to be from Florida
archaeological sites. We are not aware of the presence of any
potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the human
remains.
Human remains representing, at least, seven individuals have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #7 (SPHM Box 4).'' There are no associated funerary objects.
This collection consists of a single box with three bags, one of which
bears the label ``flat head . . . skull bones west end of lake . . .
cranial, Me . . . [?] 1963.'' A box label indicates that these human
remains were obtained by donation from the St. Petersburg History
Museum, probably sometime in the 1980s. Neither this institution, nor
USF Anthropology, has records documenting these acquisitions/donations.
However, the taphonomy is consistent with a pre-Columbian age and we
assume these might have been associated with collections known to be
from Florida archaeological sites. We are not aware of the presence of
any potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the human
remains.
Human remains representing, at least, four individuals have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #8 (SPHM Boxes 01074 and 01075).'' There is one associated
funerary object, a lightning whelk shell. This collection includes two
boxes. One contains six bags of human remains: two labelled ``Ind. 1'',
one labelled ``Ind. 2'', and two labelled ``Ind. 3.'' The second box
contains 15 bags and one glass jar with human remains; eight of the
containers are labelled ``Ind. 1,'' one is labelled ``Ind. 2'' and the
others are either unlabelled or labelled only by element. One of the
bags describes Individual 1 as coming from ``St. Pete, FL.'' Florida.
The box labels indicate that these human remains were obtained by
donation from the St. Petersburg History Museum, probably sometime in
the 1980s. Neither this institution, nor USF Anthropology, has records
documenting these acquisitions/donations. However, the taphonomy is
consistent with a pre-Columbian age and we assume these might have been
associated with collections known to be from Florida archaeological
sites. We are not aware of the presence of any potentially hazardous
substances used to treat any of the human remains or the associated
funerary object.
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #9 (Boxes 00617).'' There are no associated funerary
objects. This collection consists of a single box containing nine bags
of human remains: six of the bags are labelled by element and
``Individual #1,'' the three other bags are labelled by element and
``Individual #2.'' We have not been able to locate any inventories with
corresponding catalogue numbers or any records documenting the
acquisition of these human remains. However, the taphonomy is
consistent with a pre-Columbian age and we
[[Page 59175]]
assume these might have been associated with collections known to be
from Florida archaeological sites. We are not aware of the presence of
any potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the human
remains.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #11 (Donation 18).'' The two associated funerary objects are
two fragments of non-human bone. This collection consists of a single
containing 37 individually number elements. This collection appeared on
an inventory completed in 1987 with the notation ``unknown, found in
collections.'' We have not been able to identify any other records
describing the acquisition of these human remains. However, the
taphonomy is consistent with a pre-Columbian age and we assume these
might have been associated with collections known to be from Florida
archaeological sites. We are not aware of the presence of any
potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the human
remains.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified in the collections referred to as ``Mixed/Unprovenienced
Assemblage #12 (Individual #3, RMLT8-15-19).'' There are no associated
funerary objects. This collection consists of single box with two bags.
We have not been able to identify any other records describing the
acquisition of these human remains. However, the taphonomy is
consistent with a pre-Columbian age and we assume these might have been
associated with collections known to be from Florida archaeological
sites. We are not aware of the presence of any potentially hazardous
substances used to treat any of the human remains.
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 Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida have
determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 104 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 30 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 Miccosukee
Tribe of Indians; Seminole Tribe of Florida; and The Seminole Nation of
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 January
20, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the
Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida 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
Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida is responsible
for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native
Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice and any other
consulting parties.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: December 2, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23195 Filed 12-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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