Notice2026-11708
Notice of Inventory Completion: William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
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Published
June 11, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology, University of Kentucky (WSWM) 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 112 (Thursday, June 11, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 112 (Thursday, June 11, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35538-35539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-11708]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7228; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042979; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: William S. Webb Museum of
Anthropology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
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 William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology,
University of Kentucky (WSWM) 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 July 13, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Dr. Celise Chilcote-
Fricker, William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology, University of
Kentucky, 1020 Export Street, Lexington, KY 40504, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dab9bfb6b3a9bff4bca8b3b9b1bfa89aafb1a3f4bfbeaf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7615131a1f05135810041f151d130436031d0f58131203">[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
WSWM, 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 three associated funerary objects are three lots of
faunal. Site 15ES76, Pryse Cave in Estill County, Kentucky, was
excavated by a private collector from 1966-1971 who later donated
several individuals to the WSWM. No known hazardous substances are
present.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. Site 15ESxx,
Cooper site in Estill County, Kentucky, was part of a series of sites
excavated by private collectors from 1966-1971 and who later donated
several individuals to the WSWM. No known hazardous substances are
present.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. The four associated funerary objects are one stone point,
two lithics and one faunal remain. Site 15JA00, an unnamed site in
Jackson County, Kentucky, is a sand cliff rock shelter excavated by
private collectors and then donated to the WSWM in October 1959. No
known hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals have been
identified. The two associated funerary objects are one lot shell and
one faunal remain. Site 15LE2, Little Ash Cave in Lee County, Kentucky
was excavated in 1929 by Department of Anthropology Staff from the
University of Kentucky. No known hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. Site 15LE139,
Ox Barn Hollow Rockshelter in Lee County, Kentucky was excavated in
1968 by a private collector who donated to the WSWM in 1991. No known
hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. The three associated funerary objects are one lot sherds,
one rock and one soil sample. Site 15LSxx, Beatty Branch in Leslie
County, Kentucky was an accidental discovery handled by the Beatty
Branch Police, collected by the County Coroner in 1993, then given to
the State Medical Examiner's Office Case who then donated them to the
WSWM in 1995. No known hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals have been
identified. The two associated funerary objects are one lot rock and
one lot faunal. Site 15PO1, the Stephan DeHart Shelter in Powell
County, Kentucky was excavated by Funkhouser and Webb in 1930 as part
of their `Rockshelters of Wolfe and Powell Counties' Project. No known
hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, four individuals have been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. Site 15PO08,
Natural Bridge in Powell County, Kentucky was excavated by Webb and
Funkhouser in the mid-1930s after a Civilian Conservation Corps crew
uncovered remains when moving a rock before (before the site became
USFS). No known hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, four individuals have been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. Site 15RO34,
Deep Rockshelter in Rowan County, Kentucky was excavated in 1969 by the
University of Kentucky Museum of Anthropology following a survey of
vandalized rockshelters in Rowan County. No known hazardous substances
are present.
The 34 associated funerary objects are 10 limestone hoes, one
cannel coal object, two lots of marginella shell beads, four antler-tip
flakers, 16 bone awls and one lot of shell beads. Site 15WN01, Hines
Cave in Wayne County, Kentucky was excavated in 1922 by the future
founders of the WSWM and these associated funerary objects were found
after publication of our first NIC for this site. No known hazardous
substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, two individuals have been
identified. The 30 associated funerary objects are one bone bead, one
lot modified bone, one bone flaker, one bone needle, one lot
fishscales, one lot unmodified bone, one lot sherds, one lot burnt
clay, one coprolite, one lot bifaces, two cores, one lot debitage, one
drill, one lot lithic flakes, five projectile points, three lithic
scrapers, one arrow shaft straightener, one disc, one lot lithic, one
plummet, one lot shell, one lot charcoal, and one lot botanicals. Site
15WN96, Monticello Cave in Wayne County, Kentucky was excavated by a
private collector until 2007 when his collection was turned in to the
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Services who brought it to the
WSWM. No known hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. No
[[Page 35539]]
associated funerary objects are present. Site 15WO1, the Sampson
Spencer Shelter in Wolfe County, Kentucky was excavated in 1930 by Webb
and Funkhouser as part of the `Rockshelters of Wolfe and Powell
Counties' survey. No known hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals have been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. Site 15WO4, the
Butler Whisman Shelter in Wolfe County, Kentucky was excavated in 1929
by Webb and Funkhouser as part of the `Rockshelters of Wolfe and Powell
Counties' survey. No known hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. The one associated funerary object is one lot faunal. Site
15WO6, the George W. Spencer Shelter in Wolfe County, Kentucky was
excavated in 1930 by Webb and Funkhouser as part of the `Rockshelters
of Wolfe and Powell Counties' survey. No known hazardous substances are
present.
Human remains representing, at least, four individuals have been
identified. The 12 associated funerary objects are one turtle carapace
spoon, one celt, one lot modified horn, one shell fragment, one lot
charcoal, one bone gorget, three awls, one polished sandstone, one lot
flint blades and one lot shell spoons. Site 15WO10, the Dillard Stamper
Rockshelter in Wolfe County, Kentucky was excavated in 1930 by Webb and
Funkhouser as part of the `Rockshelters of Wolfe and Powell Counties'
survey. No known hazardous substances are present.
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals have been
identified. The 21 associated funerary objects are three lots faunal,
one rock, two flint celts, one lot flint blades, one lot bird points,
one lot arrow points, one lot limestone scrapers, one celt blank, one
broken hemattite celt, one quartzite disk, one lot modified bone, two
deer antlers, one racoon bacculum, one shell gorget, one lot shell
scrapers, one lot sherds and one lot shell fragments. Site 15WO14, the
Green Gentry Shelter in Wolfe County, Kentucky was excavated in 1930 by
Webb and Funkhouser as part of the `Rockshelters of Wolfe and Powell
Counties' survey. No known hazardous substances are present.
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 WSWM has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 39 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 112 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; 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 July 13,
2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the WSWM
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 WSWM 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: June 5, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-11708 Filed 6-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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