Notice2025-23363
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN
Primary source
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Published
December 19, 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 Carter, Claiborne, Greene, Hawkins, Sullivan, and Washington 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 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59543-59544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23363]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6810; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041644; 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 Carter,
Claiborne, Greene, Hawkins, Sullivan, and Washington 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 January 20, 2026.
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#42122a2b2e6c0a2d26252702362c6c252d34"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aefec6c7c280e6c1cac9cbeedac080c9c1d8">[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, 40 individuals have been
identified. The 22 associated funerary objects are 13 artifacts
described below and nine lots of artifacts.
Site 40CR4, Carter County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. This material
was donated to the Rocky Mount Historical Association and transferred
to the TDOA for repatriation. 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, Claiborne County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, 14 individuals and one lot of
associated funerary, unsorted artifacts. These ancestral remains and
artifacts were donated to TDEC-DOA in October 2021 by Lincoln Memorial
University. No further information is available regarding the
circumstances surrounding the acquisition of these remains. There is no
known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40GN2, Greene 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.
Site 40GN6, Greene County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, five individuals. These
remains were transferred to TDEC-DOA in 2019 by faculty from East
Tennessee State University. No information is available regarding the
circumstances surrounding their original acquisition. There is no known
exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40HW58, Hawkins County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals. These
remains were transferred to TDEC-DOA from East Tennessee State
University in 2008. No additional information is available
[[Page 59544]]
regarding the circumstances surrounding recovery. There is no known
exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Unknown Site, Hawkins County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
from the William L. Jenkins Forensic Center were transferred to the
Division of Archaeology in April 2017. No information exists as to the
circumstances surrounding their collection. There is no known exposure
to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40SL9, Sullivan County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals and four
associated funerary objects. AFOs include two radiocarbon samples and
two lots of artifacts from mortuary feature fill (missing). Salvage
excavations performed by TDEC-DOA archaeologists prior to development
in 1983 resulted in the recovery of these remains. There is no known
exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40SL10, Sullivan County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, 12 individuals and 17
associated funerary objects. AFOs include two stone objects, one chert
projectile point/knife, one unknown object; possibly noncultural/mud
dobber nest fragment, one small ceramic discoidal, one burned, drilled
canid tooth strung onto thread; one drilled slate gorget with two
holes, one fragmented turkey tarsometatarsus, one deer antler tine
pressure flaker, one burned bone bead, and one vial of red ochre
fragments. Lotted AFOs are six lots of fauna, lithic, shell, and bone
tools. Salvage excavations performed by TDEC-DOA archaeologists prior
to development in 1983 resulted in the recovery of these remains. There
is no known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Unknown Site, Sullivan County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
were transferred to TDEC-DOA from the Rocky Mount Museum, where they
were originally donated on behalf of the Rocky Mount Historical
Association. No additional information exists regarding the
circumstances of collection. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Site 40WG20, Washington County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
were donated to TDEC-DOA by East Tennessee State University in 2014. No
information exists as to the circumstances surrounding their
collection. 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 at least 40 individuals of Native American
ancestry.
<bullet> The 22 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 Cherokee
Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; 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 January
20, 2026. 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: December 11, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23363 Filed 12-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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