Notice2025-23542
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN
Primary source
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Published
December 22, 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 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 243 (Monday, December 22, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 243 (Monday, December 22, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59858-59860]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23542]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6743; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041631; 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 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 21, 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, 1216 Foster Avenue, Cole Building #3, Nashville, TN 37243,
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#47172f2e2b690f2823202207332969202831"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a8f8c0c1c486e0c7cccfcde8dcc686cfc7de">[email protected]</span></a>.
[[Page 59859]]
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, 154 individuals have been
identified. The 198 associated funerary objects are 39 artifacts and
159 lots of artifacts described below.
Unknown site, Cheatham County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
from the collection of the Tennessee State Museum were excavated by a
private individual from a ``Temple Mound'' in Cheatham County and
donated in 1993. They were transferred to the Division of Archaeology
in 1995. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or
treatments.
Site 40CH8, Cheatham County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, four individuals, and
associated funerary objects consisting of one lot of unsorted
artifacts. At least two individuals and the lotted associated funerary
objects were excavated in March 1926, curated with the Tennessee State
Museum, and transferred to the Division of Archaeology in 2017. At
least two individuals were collected by Division of Archaeology staff
in 1976. No record exists as to the original circumstances of
collection. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or
treatments.
Site 40CH19, Cheatham County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
were donated to the Division of Archaeology by a private consultant in
2010. No information exists as to the circumstances surrounding their
collection. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or
treatments.
Unknown site, Dickson County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
were seized by the Dickson County sheriff department in an estate sale,
and transferred to Middle Tennessee State University for examination.
They were transferred to TDEC-DOA in 2023. There is no known exposure
to hazardous substances or treatments.
Unknown site, Montgomery County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
were donated to TDEC-DOA by the Clarksville Police Department in 2017.
There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40MT4, Montgomery County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals, and four
associated funerary objects consisting of one freshwater shell and
three lots of shell and faunal material. These remains were donated to
TDEC-DOA by Sewanee archaeology faculty in 2022. There is no known
exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40MT111, Montgomery County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These remains
were collected eroding from the riverbank by a private consultant and
transferred to TDEC-DOA in July 2010. There is no known exposure to
hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40MT133, Montgomery County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These
ancestral remains were collected eroding from a riverbank and donated
to TDEC-DOA in 2023. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances
or treatments.
Site 40MT387, Montgomery County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, four individuals, and 46
associated funerary objects consisting of five shell tempered ceramic
vessels and 41 lots of artifacts. This Mississippian period cemetery
was excavated by a private consultant in 1988 prior to water plant
construction. All other ancestral remains from the site were reburied
under state law in 1995. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Site 40MT1041, Montgomery County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These
ancestral remains were recovered by TDEC-DOA staff in 2008 after being
left on site by vandals. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Unknown site, Robertson County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. No
information is available regarding the location from which these
remains were acquired or their transfer to Division of Archaeology
care. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40RB4, Robertson County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These
ancestral remains were discovered by construction workers in 1981 and
transferred to TDOA in 2004. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Site 40RB141, Robertson County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. No
information is available regarding the location from which these
remains were acquired or their transfer to Division of Archaeology
care. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Unknown sites, Sumner County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, six individuals. Remains of
at least two individuals were donated to the Division of Archaeology
with no additional information. Remains of at least one individual were
donated to the Division of Archaeology in 1981. Remains of at least
three individuals from the estate of a private collector were donated
to the Division of Archaeology in 2020. There is no known exposure to
hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40SU3, Sumner County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These
ancestral remains were collected by a private individual and donated to
TDEC-DOA in 2017. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or
treatments.
Site 40SU14, Sumner County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual and one lot of
unsorted artifacts. There is no information available regarding the
origin of these materials. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
Site 40SU15, Sumner County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals, and five
associated funerary objects consisting of three ceramic vessels, one
stone bead, and one lot of associated funerary objects. These and other
ancestral remains from site 40SU15 were excavated in 1994 by a private
consultant prior to residential development. All other ancestral
remains and AFOs were reburied on site according to state law in June
1995. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40SU20, Sumner County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, 106 individuals (one missing
at inventory), and 142 associated funerary objects (all missing at
inventory)
[[Page 59860]]
consisting of 11 Madison triangular arrow points, two lithic bifaces,
two freshwater bivalves, two crinoid fossil fragments, one stemmed
projectile point, one elk tibia tarsal, one bone needle fragment, one
shell-tempered ceramic jar, one welk shell effigy ceramic vessel, one
Mississippi Plain lobed ceramic jar, one Mississippi Plain ceramic
vessel, one shell-tempered ceramic sherd, one rodent mandible, one
fragmentary worked deer metapodial, one turtle carapace, one snake
vertebra, and 113 lots of associated funerary objects (45 missing at
inventory). TDEC-DOA staff conducted excavation of a Mississippian
period burial mound at Moss Wright Park in 1976 as a salvage project
prior to construction of park facilities. There is no known exposure to
hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40SU46, Sumner County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, one individual. These
ancestral remains were recovered by TDEC-DOA staff in 1977 during a
site survey. There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or
treatments.
Site 40SU71, Sumner County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, eight individuals. These
ancestral remains were donated to TDEC-DOA in the 1970s and 1980s.
There is no known exposure to hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40SU75, Sumner County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, five individuals. These
ancestral remains were salvaged by TDEC-DOA staff in 1982 after being
disturbed by construction activity. There is no known exposure to
hazardous substances or treatments.
Site 40SU204, Sumner County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals. These
remains were excavated by a private individual and donated to the TDOA
in 2005. 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 154 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 198 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 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; 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
21, 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. 2025-23542 Filed 12-19-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 22, 2025.
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