[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 245 (Friday, December 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65731-65733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27649]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0027067; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: The University of Tennessee, 
Department of Anthropology, Knoxville, TN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology (UTK), 
has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary 
objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native 
Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural 
affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects 
and any present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 
Representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not 
identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of 
these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a 
written request to UTK. If no additional requestors come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in 
this notice may proceed.

[[Page 65732]]


DATES: Representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice that wish to request 
transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary 
objects should submit a written request with information in support of 
the request to UTK at the address in this notice by January 22, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Robert Hinde, University of Tennessee, Office of the 
Provost, 527 Andy Holt Tower, Knoxville, TN 37996-0152, telephone (865) 
974-2445, email [email protected][email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 human remains and 
associated funerary objects under the control of the University of 
Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Knoxville, TN. The human remains 
and associated funerary objects were removed from Williamson County, 
TN.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and 
43 CFR 10.11(d). The determinations in this notice are the sole 
responsibility of the museum, institution, or Federal agency that has 
control of the Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the UTK 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Cherokee 
Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; The Chickasaw Nation; and the 
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.

History and Description of the Remains

    At a date likely between 1960 and 1969, human remains representing, 
at minimum, one individual, were removed from 40WM4, the DeGraffenreid 
site in Williamson County, TN. At a date likely after 1969, this 
individual was transferred to UTK. UTK believes these human remains 
were removed by the Southeastern Indian Antiquities Survey (SIAS) 
during excavations conducted in the 1960s at the DeGraffenreid site 
after it had been destroyed by potash (phosphate) mining. The UTK 
curation repository holds a number of collections excavated by the 
SIAS. Burial 1 belongs to a young child, aged 2-4 years old. No known 
individuals were identified. The two associated funerary objects are 
fragments of burned wood. The DeGraffenreid site dates to circa 1300-
1450 C.E., based on the identification by Jones (1876) and Smith (1994) 
of artifacts not under the control of UTK.
    At a date possibly between 1965 and 1967, human remains 
representing, at minimum, six individuals were removed from 40WM5, the 
Arnold site in Williamson County, TN. At a date perhaps between 1965 
and 1980, these individuals were transferred to UTK. Between 1965 and 
1967, members of the SIAS excavated the Arnold site when it became 
threatened by subdivision development. It is unclear if these six 
individuals were uncovered as part of SIAS excavations or were 
excavated prior to or after the SIAS project as they cannot be 
correlated with any of the individuals described in the report on this 
site (Ferguson 1972). Burial A belongs to a young adult female (20-35 
years old). Burial B belongs to an adult male, likely middle aged (35-
50 years old). Burial C belongs to a juvenile of indeterminate sex (12-
15 years old). Burial D belongs to a young adult, probably female (20-
35 years old). Burial E belongs to a middle aged adult of indeterminate 
sex (35-50 years old). The sixth individual, without a burial 
designation, is a young adult male (25-34 years old). No known 
individuals were identified. The one associated funerary object is a 
limestone-tempered ceramic sherd. The Arnold site dates to circa C.E. 
1150-1350, based on a radiocarbon date, placing it within the Middle 
Cumberland Culture of the Mississippian period. Other funerary objects 
reported by Ferguson and not under the control of UTK also date to this 
time period.
    Between 1971 and 1972, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from 40WM6, the Harpeth Meadows site in 
Williamson County, TN. During construction activities in 1971, the 
landowner encountered two stone box graves, and contacted a local 
historical society, which ultimately led to the involvement of amateur 
archeologists from the SIAS of Nashville later that year. Excavations 
at this small village and cemetery site, including the contents of two 
excavated pits and the presence of stone box graves, indicate that this 
site dates to the Late Mississippian Period. At a date sometime after 
1972, the human remains were transferred to UTK by John Dowd. Burial 1 
belongs to an adult male, aged 50 or older. Burial 5 belongs to an 
adult male, aged 35-39. (Burials 2 through 4 were never transferred to 
UTK. According to burial records, only the outlines of the stone box 
grave surrounding Burial 2 were intact when the SIAS investigated it; 
no human skeletal remains were present. However, burial records state 
that human remains were present in Burials 3 and 4. The current 
location of these individuals is unknown). No known individuals were 
identified. The three associated funerary objects are two ceramic 
sherds and one faunal bone sherd, both of which are associated with 
Burial 1. Additional funerary objects are noted in the site records, 
but were never transferred to UTK.
    Between 1980 and 1982, upon the urging of the private landowner, 
human remains representing, at minimum, 81 individuals were removed 
from 40WM9, the Anderson site in Williamson County, TN, by a group from 
the Middle Cumberland Archaeological Society that included John Dowd, 
Tom Kinney, Bruce Lindstrom, and Ken Steverson. Sometime between 1980 
and 1983, the human remains were transferred to UTK. These individuals 
include: 22 females or probable females, 17 males or probable males, 
five adults of indeterminate sex, and 37 subadults. No known 
individuals were identified. The 341 associated funerary objects 
include: 62 waste flakes, one core fragment, one piece of shatter, one 
uniface scraper, one drill fragment, two bifacially worked tools, one 
fragment of a lanceolate type projectile point, two small groundstone 
fragments, possibly part of a bannerstone, 79 pieces of fire cracked 
rock, two pieces of limestone (one is burned), four pieces of 
sandstone, 96 non-culturally altered rocks associated with burials, two 
pieces of burned clay, 72 faunal bones and teeth (including a turtle 
carapace fragment, a carnivore tooth, and 15 fragments of gastropod and 
mussel shell), and 15 bags of sediment from burial areas of the site. 
Based on Dowd's report (1989), the majority of the funerary objects 
(and particularly those with photographs), as well as all ceramics and 
most faunal remains, were never transferred to UTK. Based on the lithic 
points listed by Dowd (1989), which are not under the control of UTK, 
and include Eva, Morrow Mountain, and Big Sandy types and radiocarbon 
dates obtained from wood and nutshell, the main occupation of the 
Anderson site appears to be during the Middle Archaic period, 6720 +/- 
220 B.P. to 6495 +/- 205 B.P. (Dowd 1989:179).

[[Page 65733]]

Determinations Made by the University of Tennessee, Department of 
Anthropology

    Officials of the University of Tennessee, Department of 
Anthropology have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on archeological context and 
osteological analysis.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 90 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 347 objects 
described in this notice are 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.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day 
Indian Tribe.
     According to final judgments of the Indian Claims 
Commission or the Court of Federal Claims, the land from which the 
Native American human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed is the aboriginal land of the Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of 
Cherokee Indians; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in 
Oklahoma.
     Treaties, Acts of Congress, or Executive Orders, indicate 
that the land from which the Native American human remains and 
associated funerary objects were removed is the aboriginal land of the 
Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; The Chickasaw 
Nation; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects may be to the Cherokee 
Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; The Chickasaw Nation; and the 
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization 
not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control 
of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Dr. 
Robert Hinde, University of Tennessee, Office of the Provost, 527 Andy 
Holt Tower, Knoxville, TN 37996-0152, telephone (865) 974-2445, email 
[email protected] and [email protected], by January 22, 2019. After that date, 
if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of 
the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Cherokee 
Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; The Chickasaw Nation; and the 
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma may proceed.
    UTK is responsible for notifying the Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band 
of Cherokee Indians; The Chickasaw Nation; and the United Keetoowah 
Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: November 28, 2018.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2018-27649 Filed 12-20-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P