Notice2026-08757
Notice of Inventory Completion: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
Primary source
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Published
May 5, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), State Museum of Pennsylvania 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 91 Issue 86 (Tuesday, May 5, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 86 (Tuesday, May 5, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24273-24274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08757]
[[Page 24273]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7111; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042680; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
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 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission (PHMC), State Museum of Pennsylvania 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 June 4, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Cherilyn Gilligan,
PHMC, State Museum of Pennsylvania, 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA
17120, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5c2c34313f323d3b2c2e3d1c2c3d723b332a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="daaab2b7b9b4bbbdaaa8bb9aaabbf4bdb5ac">[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
PHMC, State Museum of Pennsylvania, 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, one individual has been
identified. The two lots of associated funerary objects include
pottery, botanical remains, faunal remains, pipes, groundstone,
modified faunal material, chipped stone, natural materials, pigment,
personal adornments, and historic trade items. These were removed from
the Davenport site (28Sx27) in Sussex County, NJ by The Society for
Pennsylvania Archaeology, Lenape Chapter 12 from 1967 to 1971. These
were received by The State Museum of Pennsylvania between 2004 and 2013
and have been housed under accessions including 2004.64 and 2014.50.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual has been
identified. The one lot of associated funerary objects include chipped
stone, pottery, pipes, groundstone, faunal material, unmodified stone,
and charcoal. These were removed from the Zierdt site (28Sx425) in
Sussex County, NJ by The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, Lenape
Chapter 12 in 1967. These items have been housed at The State Museum of
Pennsylvania since 2004 under accession 2004.64. An unknown number of
objects may be missing from this collection and PHMC staff continue to
look for them.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. The one lot of associated funerary objects include chipped
stone, groundstone, and faunal remains. These were removed from the
Herring site (28Sx428) in Sussex County, NJ by The Society for
Pennsylvania Archaeology, Lenape Chapter 12 from 1967-1968. These items
have been housed at The State Museum of Pennsylvania since 2004 under
accession 2004.64.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. The one lot of associated funerary objects include personal
adornments, modified faunal remains, modified floral remains, pipes,
historic trade items. These were removed from the Kutztown Boro Farm
site (36Bk450) in Berks County, PA in the late 19th or early 20th
century by Henry K. Deisher. These items have been housed at The State
Museum of Pennsylvania since 1917 under accession 60.26. An unknown
number of items from this site may be missing and PHMC staff continue
to look for them.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual has been
identified. The four lots of associated funerary objects include
chipped stone, groundstone, faunal material, pottery, personal
adornments, pipes, natural rock, and fire cracked rock. These were
removed from Sandts Eddy site (36Nm12) in Northampton County, PA by
Emanco, Inc., 3D/Environmental, and Society for Pennsylvania
Archaeology, Forks of the Delaware Chapter 14 from c. 1969-1994.
Received by PHMC between 1969-2013 and housed under accessions
including 90.6, 96.37, 98.138, and 2014.53.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual has been
identified. There are no funerary belongings. This ancestor was removed
from Pike County, PA by The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology,
Lenape Chapter 12 during the 1960s. These items have been housed at The
State Museum of Pennsylvania since 2013 under catalog 36PI0000/27 and
accession 2014.50.
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals have been
identified. The five lots of associated funerary objects include
botanical remains, charcoal, chipped stone, faunal remains, fire
cracked rock, groundstone, historic trade items, natural rock, ochre,
personal adornments, pipes, pottery, and soil. These were removed from
the Zimmerman site (36Pi14) in Pike County, PA by The Society for
Pennsylvania Archaeology, Lenape Chapter 12 in the 1960s. Received by
PHMC between 1993-2013 and housed under accessions including 95.12,
2004.64, 2014.50, 2024.32, and 2024.35.
Museum records do not indicate the use of hazardous substances on
any of the above listed individuals or items.
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 PHMC, State Museum of Pennsylvania has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of at least nine individuals of Native American
ancestry.
<bullet> The 14 lots of 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 Delaware
Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Tribe of Indians; and the Stockbridge Munsee
Community, Wisconsin.
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.
[[Page 24274]]
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after June 4,
2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the PHMC,
State Museum of Pennsylvania 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 PHMC, State Museum of
Pennsylvania 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: April 27, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-08757 Filed 5-4-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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