[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54524-54525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19168]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0034448; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Robert S. Peabody Institute of 
Archaeology, Andover, MA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology 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 a cultural affiliation 
between the human remains and associated funerary objects and present-
day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Lineal descendants 
or 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 the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology. If 
no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human 
remains and associated funerary objects to the lineal descendants, 
Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice 
may proceed.

DATES: Lineal descendants or 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 the Robert S. Peabody Institute of 
Archaeology at the address in this notice by October 6, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Wheeler, Robert S. Peabody 
Institute of Archaeology, 180 Main Street, Andover, MA 01810, telephone 
(978) 749-4490, email [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 Robert S. Peabody 
Institute of Archaeology, Andover, MA. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects were removed from Moundville, Hale County, Hale County 
(near Moundville), and Foster's Ferry in Hale and Tuscaloosa Counties, 
AL.
    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 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 Robert 
S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas 
(previously listed as Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas); Alabama-
Quassarte Tribal Town; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Jena Band of 
Choctaw Indians; Seminole Tribe of Florida (previously listed as 
Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood, & 
Tampa Reservations)); The Chickasaw Nation; The Choctaw Nation of 
Oklahoma; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; 
and the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, hereafter referred to as ``The 
Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1905 and 1906, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from Moundville (01-TU-0500) in Hale and 
Tuscaloosa Counties, AL, by C.B. Moore. Moore sent some objects from 
his excavations, which he referred to as ``duplicates,'' to Warren K. 
Moorehead at the Department of Archaeology at Phillips Academy (now the 
Peabody Institute). Moorehead retained most of the objects sent to the 
Peabody Institute, but also traded some to other institutions. In 1920, 
Moorehead transferred ancestral human remains and funerary objects from 
Moundville to an institution in ``Bangor, Maine''; the exact 
institution is unclear. In 1997, the ancestral humans remains were 
returned to the Peabody Institute. The fragmentary human remains belong 
to a juvenile of indeterminate sex. No known individual was identified. 
The 753 associated funerary objects are 20 ground stone discs and 
fragments, 20 ceramic discs, 483 ceramic sherds, two bone perforators, 
five celts, seven hammerstones, 23 ceramic vessels, 12 bifaces, 96 
fragments of debitage, two ceramic figurine fragments, six faunal bone 
fragments, two pieces of galena, 66 shell beads, two chunks of 
hematite, five modified stones, one scraper, and one cast of a 
monolithic axe.
    The human remains and funerary objects given to Moorehead by C.B. 
Moore came from multiple localities within the Moundville site complex, 
including: burial ground north east of Mound C, cemetery near Mound C, 
cemetery South of Mound D, field north of Mound D, field north of Mound 
R, field near Mound B, field near Mound D, field west of Mound B, field 
west of Mound R, ground north east of Mound C, ground south of Mound D, 
Mound B, Mound C, Mound D, Mound north of Mound C, Mound O, ridge north 
of Mound A, ridge north of Mound R, low mound west of Mound B, and 
Mound F.
    In 1905 and 1906, 163 associated funerary objects were removed from 
an unspecified area Near Moundville in Hale County, AL, by C.B. Moore. 
Moore sent some objects from his excavations, which he referred to as 
``duplicates,'' to Warren K. Moorehead at the Department of Archaeology 
at Phillips Academy (now the Peabody Institute). The 163 associated 
funerary objects are 149 ceramic sherds, nine ceramic vessels, three 
bifaces, and two scrapers.
    In 1905 and 1906, one associated funerary object was removed from 
Hale County, AL, by C.B. Moore. Moore sent some objects from his 
excavations, which he referred to as ``duplicates,'' to Warren K. 
Moorehead at the Department of Archaeology at Phillips Academy (now the 
Peabody Institute). The one associated funerary object is a modified 
stone.
    In 1905 and 1906, one associated funerary object was removed from 
Foster's Ferry, Tuscaloosa County, AL, by C.B. Moore. Moore sent some 
objects from his excavations, which he referred to as duplicates, to 
Warren K. Moorehead at the Department of Archaeology at Phillips 
Academy (now the Peabody Institute). The one associated funerary object 
is a modified stone.
    The ancestral human remains and associated funerary objects, as 
well as the sites from which they were removed, are culturally 
affiliated to the Muskogean-speaking Indian Tribes, who consider all 
items associated with Moundville to be funerary. The present-day 
Muskogean-speaking Indian Tribes are The Tribes.
    On November 23, 2021, the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Review Committee found that a relationship of shared group 
identity exists between the present-day Muskogean-speaking Indian 
Tribes and the earlier group connected to human remains and funerary 
objects excavated at, and adjacent to, the Moundville

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archeological site (01-TU-0500), in Tuscaloosa County, AL. The Review 
Committee's finding was based on linguistic, oral traditional, 
geographical, kinship, biological, archeological, historical, and 
anthropological lines of evidence. On February 1, 2022, this finding 
was published in the Federal Register (87 FR 5499-5500).

Determinations Made by the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology

    Officials of the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology have 
determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of one individual of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 918 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), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the Native 
American human remains and associated funerary objects and The Tribes.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or 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 Ryan Wheeler, Robert S. Peabody Institute of 
Archaeology, 180 Main Street, Andover, MA 01810, telephone (978) 749-
4490, email [email protected], by October 6, 2022. After that date, 
if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of 
the human remains and associated funerary objects to The Tribes may 
proceed.
    The Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology is responsible for 
notifying The Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: August 29, 2022.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2022-19168 Filed 9-2-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P