Virginia Administrative Code › Title 17 - LIBRARIES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES › Agency 5 - BOARD OF HISTORIC RESOURCES › Chapter 20 - REGULATIONS GOVERNING PERMITS FOR THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMOVAL OF HUMAN REMAINS › Section 17VAC5-20-10 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter,
				  shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates
				  otherwise:
"Archaeological site" means a geographic area on dry land
				  that contains any evidence of human activity which is or may be the source of
				  important historic, scientific, archaeological or educational data or objects,
				  regardless of age. Dry land includes land which is saturated or under water on
				  a temporary basis.
"Associated artifacts" means natural objects or objects of
				  human manufacture worn by or buried with human remains at the time of
				  burial.
"Board" means the Virginia Board of Historic
				  Resources.
"Curation" means the care and maintenance of artifacts or
				  human remains, or both, from the time they are removed from the ground during
				  any period of analysis and study, and as a possible option for long-term
				  disposition of excavated materials.
"Department" means the Virginia Department of Historic
				  Resources.
"Director" means the Director of the Department of Historic
				  Resources.
"Emergency" means a situation in which human burials that
				  have or may have scientific or historic significance are threatened with
				  immediate and unavoidable destruction, or in which there likely will be a loss
				  of scientific data because of the disturbance or destruction of human burials.
				  Emergency situations exist where failure to initiate a scientific investigation
				  immediately would result in irreversible loss of significant information. An
				  emergency may exist regardless of whether the human remains are encountered
				  unexpectedly, or may reasonably be anticipated, or suspected. Such situations
				  include but are not limited to (i) construction projects where avoidance or
				  delays are not possible or would constitute major hardships; (ii) sites where
				  natural processes such as floods or erosion threaten destruction; and (iii)
				  sites where looting is occurring, or is expected to occur within a short period
				  of time.
"Field investigation" means the study of the traces of human
				  culture at any site by means of surveying, sampling, excavation, or removing
				  surface or subsurface material, or going on a site with that intent.
"Human remains" means a human body or any part of a body,
				  particularly skeletal remains, at any stage of deterioration.
"Person" means any natural individual, partnership,
				  association, corporation, or other legal entity.
"Unmarked burial" means grave or location where human
				  remains were intentionally buried but which lacks any marker identifying the
				  person or persons buried there. This may include primary or secondary burials.
				  Any such burial shall constitute evidence of human activity as stated under the
				  above definition of "archaeological site."
Statutory Authority
§§ 10.1-2202 and 10.1-2300 et seq. of the Code
					 of Virginia.