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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 90044-90045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26454]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039023; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]

Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Virginia, 
Charlottesville, VA

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 University of Virginia 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 December 16, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Meg Kennedy, University of Virginia, 170 McCormick Road, 
Charlottesville, VA 22812, telephone (434) 924-9425, email 
[email protected].

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 
University of Virginia, 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, five individuals have been 
identified. The one lot of associated funerary objects are charcoal 
from a burial context, pottery, copper, stone, and walnut. Human 
remains representing, at minimum, five individuals were removed from 
several archaeological sites by University of Virginia faculty and 
students during the twentieth century. Charlton Gilmore (Gilly) 
Holland, M.D., a neuropsychiatrist at the University of Virginia who 
taught Virginia archaeology in the department of sociology for ten 
years, actively excavated sites in Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockingham 
and Rockbridge Counties in Virginia the mid-twentieth century. Some of 
this work was done in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution.
    On an unknown date(s), Holland removed ``bones scattered through 
sod'' from Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) site number 
44AU12 in Augusta County, Virginia. The bones are believed to be human.
    On an unknown date(s) in 1962, Holland removed human remains and 
associated funerary objects from the Hirsch Mound (DHR site number 
44BA35) in Bath County, Virginia. The material includes human remains, 
charcoal from a burial context and associated funerary objects 
including pottery, copper, stone and walnut. From his notes: ``bones 
and charcoal from lowest level in Square A,'' ``charcoal from 24''1' 
south of stake (W) for trench,'' ``square F2 feet from surface +6 above 
skull, SE post, chips in fill,'' ``skull + teeth fragments burial of 
square F,'' and ``burial 1 square A second level,'' as well as ``square 
A below 3rd level stones separated from skull + burial,'' ``possible 
copper, square A 14 inches,'' ``1 sherd pottery found under burial #2 
in 1st level,'' and ``walnut Square A.''
    On an unknown date(s), Holland or another colleague removed one 
human bone (bag labeled ``12-19 inches'') from Lee Site #3 in Wise 
County, Virginia. Holland published research on 10 sites

[[Page 90045]]

in Lee in 1970 and presumably this material related to DHR site numbers 
44LE0010, 44LE0014 or 44LE0017.
    On August 2, 1988 (and possibly on other unknown dates), University 
of Virginia professor of archaeology Jeffrey Hantman excavated DHR site 
number 44OR1, the Rapidan Mound in Orange County, Virginia. Material 
believed to be human was removed for future study, in consultation with 
Monacan Tribal leadership. Included in the material was: ``teeth NO36 
L1-alluv 8/2/88'' and ``23 contexts with bone that is potentially human 
(including charred material).'' Hantman's research focused on 
traditional Monacan lands in Albemarle, Nelson and Orange Counties.
    On an unknown date(s) in 1997, University of Virginia archaeology 
graduate students Martin Gallivan and Michael Klein (with unnamed 
undergraduate students and University faculty) removed material 
believed to be human from DHR site number 44GO30, Elk Island on the 
James River in Goochland County, Virginia. This work was part of a 
University of Virginia field school 1994-1997. The cultural items 
removed include two bags: ``one human molar F2 surface/disturbance 
1997'' and ``one fragment F2 surface disturbance 1997.'' It is believed 
that these items were inadvertently retained.

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 University of Virginia has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of five individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The one lot 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.
     There is a reasonable connection between human remains and 
associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Eastern 
Band of Cherokee Indians and the Monacan Indian 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 December 
16, 2024. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the 
University of Virginia 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 University of Virginia is responsible 
for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native 
Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.
    Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.

    Dated: November 5, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-26454 Filed 11-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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