Notice2026-08758
Notice of Inventory Completion: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
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 24291-24292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08758]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7112; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042681; 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#8dfde5e0eee3eceafdffeccdfdeca3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e7978f8a84898680979586a79786c9808891">[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, eight individuals have been
identified. The eight lots of associated funerary objects include
botanical remains, charcoal, chipped stone, groundstone, historic trade
items, modified and unmodified faunal material, natural stones,
personal adornments, pipes, pottery, and soil. These individuals and
belongings were removed from the Overpeck site (36Bu5) in Bucks County,
PA by The State Museum of Pennsylvania; Society for Pennsylvania
Archaeology, Forks of the Delaware Chapter 14; Sam Landis; and Bryn
Mawr College between 1947 and 1988. Received by PHMC from 1947-2022 and
housed under accessions including 82.1, 83.88, 90.6, 90.250, 2005.63,
2007.18, 2023.44, and 2025.51. An unknown number of items may be
missing from this holding 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, pottery, and modified and unmodified faunal
remains. In 1981, remains and funerary belongings were removed from the
Eel Skin Rock Shelter site (36Bu59) in Bucks County, PA by Sam Landis.
Received by PHMC in 1982 and housed under accession 82.1.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. The one lot of associated funerary objects include chipped
stone and faunal remains. These items were removed from the Hartpence
site (36Bu191) in Bucks County, PA by Dr. Michael Stewart in 1987.
Received by PHMC in 1987 and housed under accession 87.76.
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals have been
identified. No associated funerary objects have been identified,
however an unknown number of items may be missing from this holding,
and PHMC staff continue to look for them. In the late 19th century,
remains and funerary belongings were removed from Durham Cave (36Bu196)
in Bucks County, PA by Henry C. Mercer. Received by PHMC from
University of Pennsylvania in 1969 and housed under accession 96.49.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. The one lot of associated funerary objects include pottery
and faunal material. These were removed from the Hanley site (unknown
site number) in Luzerne County, PA by an unknown individual prior to
1993 and transferred to PHMC by the Wyoming Historical and Geological
Society in 1993. This individual has been housed under catalog 36Lu/4
and accession 93.66. An unknown number of items may be missing and PHMC
staff continue to look for them.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified.
[[Page 24292]]
The two lots of associated funerary objects include pottery, pipes,
personal adornments, groundstone, faunal material, chipped stone,
charcoal, and an effigy. These were removed from the Schacht site
(36Lu1) in Luzerne County, PA by The State Museum of Pennsylvania and
Jeanne Sweeney between 1962 and an unknown date prior to1989. Received
by PHMC from 1962-1989 and housed under accessions including 62.82 and
89.60. An unknown number of items may be missing from this holding and
PHMC staff continue to look for them.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. No associated funerary belongings are present. This
individual was removed from 36Lu39 in Luzerne County, PA by an unknown
individual during the mid-1990s. Received by PHMC in the mid to late
1990s and housed under accession 2025.67.
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals have been
identified. No associated funerary objects have been identified. These
individuals were removed from an unknown location in either Luzerne
County or Pike County, PA by Russel Royer during the mid-20th century.
Received by PHMC in 1989 and housed under accession 89.28.
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 18 individuals of Native American
ancestry.
<bullet> The 13 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 Absentee-
Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Cayuga Nation; Delaware Nation,
Oklahoma; Delaware Tribe of Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma;
Oneida Indian Nation; Oneida Nation; Onondaga Nation; Saint Regis
Mohawk Tribe; Seneca Nation of Indians; Seneca-Cayuga Nation; Shawnee
Tribe; Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin; Tonawanda Band of
Seneca; and the Tuscarora Nation.
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 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. 2026-08758 Filed 5-4-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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