[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 62 (Friday, April 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16841-16842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6467]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Robert S. Peabody Museum of 
Archaeology, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves 
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the 
completion of an inventory of an associated funerary object in the 
possession of the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology, Phillips 
Academy, Andover, MA. The associated funerary object was removed from 
McCurtain County, OK.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003 (d)(3). 
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the Native 
American associated funerary object. The National Park Service is not 
responsible for the determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the associated funerary object was made by 
Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the

[[Page 16842]]

Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes 
(Wichita, Keechi, Waco and Tawakonie), Oklahoma.
    In 1913, a Hudson Engraved ceramic vessel was collected from a site 
whose locality is described as ``Sec 7 TP6S, R23E'' in McCurtain 
County, OK, by E.S. Byington. Mr Byington was temporarily employed by 
W.K. Moorehead of the Robert S. Peabody Museum. Museum records indicate 
that human remains and the ceramic vessel were collected by Mr. 
Byington for the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology, although the 
excavator is identified as T.H. Rogers. Both men were employees of the 
Texas, Oklahoma and Eastern Railroad Company. In 1963, the Robert S. 
Peabody Museum of Archaeology donated the human remains to the Peabody 
Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. The human 
remains associated with the funerary object are in the custody of the 
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University and 
were described in a notice of inventory completion published in the 
Federal Register on August 16, 2000 (FR Doc. 00[macr]20823).
    Based on geographical, historic, and archeological evidence, the 
associated funerary object is culturally affiliated with the Caddo 
Nation of Oklahoma. Hudson Engraved ceramics are related to the 
McCurtain phase (A.D.1450[macr]1600), and historic evidence indicates 
that Hudson Engraved ceramics were produced by Caddoan peoples circa 
A.D. 1500[macr]1730. Although the exact site from which the human 
remains and the associated funerary object were removed is not known, 
the site is located in the historic territory of the Caddo tribe; other 
sites in the area have produced Hudson Engraved or closely related 
vessels, some of which have been found in association with European 
trade items.
    Officials of the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the one object 
described above is reasonably believed to have been placed with or near 
individual human remains at the time of death or later as part of the 
death rite or ceremony. Officials of the Robert S. Peabody Museum of 
Archaeology also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), 
there is a relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably 
traced between the Native American associated funerary object and the 
Caddo Nation of Oklahoma.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the associated funerary object should 
contact Malinda Blustain, Director, Robert S. Peabody Museum of 
Archaeology, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA 01810, telephone (978) 
749[macr]4490, before May 2, 2005. Repatriation of the associated 
funerary object to the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma may proceed after that 
date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology is responsible for 
notifying the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and the Wichita and Affiliated 
Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco and Tawakonie), Oklahoma that this notice 
has been published.

    Dated: February 2, 2005.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 05-6467 Filed 3-31-05; 8:45 am]
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