Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 53775-53777 [2014-21471]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 175 (Wednesday, September 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53775-53777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21471]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-16416; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Arizona State 
Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Arizona State Museum, in consultation with the appropriate 
Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the 
cultural items listed in this notice meet the definition of 
unassociated funerary objects. Lineal descendants or representatives of 
any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this 
notice that wish to claim these cultural items should submit a written 
request to the Arizona State Museum. If no additional claimants come 
forward, transfer of control of the cultural items 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 
claim these cultural items should submit a written request with 
information in support of the claim to the Arizona State Museum at the 
address in this notice by October 10, 2014.

ADDRESSES: John McClelland, NAGPRA Coordinator, P.O. Box 210026, 
Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, 
telephone (520) 626-2950.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is here given in accordance with the 
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 
U.S.C. 3005, of the intent to repatriate cultural items under the 
control of Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 
that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects under 25 
U.S.C. 3001.
    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 cultural items. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

History and Description of the Cultural Items

    In 1968 and 1969, two cultural items were removed from a private 
residence from an unrecorded site, AZ AA:12:-- Tucson Site 14, at a 
privately-owned trailer park in Pima County, AZ. The legally authorized 
excavations were conducted by the Arizona State Museum (ASM) under the 
direction of James Ayres and Walter Birkby. The archeological 
collections were brought to ASM and accessioned. The two unassociated 
funerary objects are one bone bead and one clay fragment. The human 
remains once associated with these objects are missing. Field notes 
mention the presence of sherds that were not collected. On this basis, 
the objects are likely dated to the period A.D. 200-1500, which 
encompasses the Hohokam sequence.
    In the years 1936 through 1938, 1,459 cultural items were removed 
from the Hodges Site AZ AA:12:18(ASM), in Tucson, Pima County, AZ. The 
legally authorized excavations were conducted by the Gila Pueblo 
Archaeological Foundation under the direction of Carl Miller and Isabel 
Kelly. At the end of the excavations, the collections were brought to 
the Gila Pueblo Archeological Foundation in Globe, AZ. In 1944, the 
archeological collections were transferred to ASM. The 1,459 
unassociated funerary objects are 5 animal bones, 7 bone artifacts, 3 
bone awls, 1 bone awl fragment, 126 ceramic bowls, 121 ceramic bowl 
fragments, 1 ceramic canteen, 3 ceramic censers, 4 ceramic disks, 2 
ceramic figurines, 18 ceramic figurine fragments, 105 ceramic jars, 59 
ceramic jar fragments, 8 ceramic plates, 3 ceramic plate fragments, 28 
ceramic scoops, 645 ceramic sherds, 2 ceramic sherd artifacts, 7 
ceramic vessels, 1 chipped stone debris fragment, 3 chipped stone 
knives, 1 chipped stone scraper, 1 clay fragment, 3 grinding stones, 2 
hammer stones, 1 handstone, 1 mineral lot, 3 polishing stones, 12 
shells, 2 shell artifacts, 24 lots of shell beads, 2 shell bracelets, 
21 shell bracelet fragments, 3 shell fragments, 8 shell pendants, 6 
shell pendant fragments, 1 shell ring, 15 stone artifacts, 1 stone axe, 
4 lots of stone beads, 24 stone bowls, 13 stone bowl fragments, 3 stone 
concretions, 1 stone cylinder, 3 stone disks, 27 stone palettes, 8 
stone palette fragments, 3 stone palette preforms, 3 stone pendants, 47 
stone projectile points, 2 turquoise beads, 1 turquoise fragment, 1 
turquoise pendant, 59 turquoise tesserae, and 1 worked ceramic sherd. 
Hodges Ruin was a large Hohokam village that was occupied from the 
Hohokam Tortolita to Tanque Verde phases (A.D. 350-1300), based on 
ceramic typologies.
    In 1969 and in 1988-1989, 225 cultural objects were removed from 
Rabid Ruin AZ AA:12:46(ASM), Pima County, AZ. The legally authorized 
excavations in 1969 were conducted by ASM under the direction of 
Laurens Hammack. The legally authorized excavations in 1988-1989 were 
conducted by Culture and Environmental Systems under the direction of 
Laurie Slawson. The later excavations were the more extensive of the 
two projects and were undertaken to mitigate impacts prior to the 
placement of sewer and water lines through the site. Following 
completion of each excavation, the archeological collections were 
brought to ASM and assigned an accession number. The 225 unassociated 
funerary objects are 2 lots of botanical material, 1 ceramic bowl, 1 
ceramic jar fragment, 1 ceramic pitcher, 201 ceramic sherds, 5 chipped 
stones, 2 shells, 1 lot of shell and stone beads, 3 lots of shell 
beads, 1 lot of stone beads, 1 stone cylinder, 4 stone projectile 
points, 1 lot of textile fragments, and 1 turquoise pendant. The Rabid 
Ruin site was a Hohokam multi-component village and is located on the 
west bank of the Santa Cruz River on the grounds of the Pima County 
Animal Control Center (formerly the Rabies Control Center). Based on 
artifact and ceramic typologies, the site was occupied during the 
Archaic period through the prehistoric historic transition, (8000 B.C.-
A.D. 1500/1700). The principal component was a cemetery with a large 
number of primary and secondary cremations, dating to the Hohokam 
Classic period (A.D. 1150-1450), and the cultural items are primarily 
from this period.
    In 1979-1983 and in 1987-1988, 301 cultural items were removed from 
Los Morteros AZ AA:12:57(ASM), in Pima County, AZ. The legally 
authorized excavations were conducted in 1979-1983 by ASM under the 
direction of Richard Lange and William Deaver, and in a separate 
project in 1987-1988 by the Center for Desert Archaeology under the 
direction of Mary Bernard-Shaw. Following completion of each 
excavation, the archeological collections were brought to ASM and 
assigned an accession number. The 301 unassociated funerary objects are 
5 animal bones, 1 ceramic bowl, 1 ceramic jar, 284 ceramic sherds, 1 
ceramic

[[Page 53776]]

vessel, 2 chipped stones, 6 pollen samples, and 1 soil sample. Los 
Morteros is a large, multi-component village site and the center of an 
extended community of related sites bordering the Santa Cruz River. The 
site contained a large ball court, a fortified hillside village, large 
mounds, stone house foundations, an adobe-walled compound enclosure, 
and acres of artifact scatter. Occupation at the site began during the 
Late Archaic/Early Agricultural period, but the most intensive period 
of occupation was during the Tanque Verde phase of the Hohokam Classic 
period, from about A.D. 1150 to 1300. Based on the associated funerary 
object typologies, most of the cultural items likely come from this 
latter period.
    In 1927, five cultural items were removed from the Huntington Site, 
AZ AA:12:73(ASM), in Pima County, AZ. The legally authorized 
excavations were conducted by the avocational archeologist Harvey 
Murdock as part of a seminar in Southwest archeology. The archeological 
collections were kept by Murdock as a part of his personal collection. 
In 1969, Murdock's personal collection was donated to the Museum of the 
Rockies in Idaho. In 1993, Museum of the Rockies transferred the 
Murdock collection to ASM. The five unassociated funerary objects are 
four ceramic bowls and one ceramic jar. The Huntington site was a 
prehistoric settlement and dates to the Early to Middle Rincon phases 
of the Hohokam cultural sequence (A.D. 950-1150), based on ceramic 
typologies as well as archaeomagnetic and radiocarbon dating and local 
stratigraphy. The cultural items appear to be associated with this 
period.
    In 1987, one cultural item was removed from the Lonetree site, AZ 
AA:12:120(ASM), in Pima County, AZ. The legally authorized excavations 
were conducted by the Center for Desert Archaeology under the direction 
of Mary Bernard-Shaw for the American Continental Corporation. 
Archeological collections were brought to ASM at the conclusion of the 
excavations and were assigned an accession number. The one unassociated 
funerary object is a bone awl. The Lonetree Site was identified as a 
multicomponent site occupied during the Hohokam Pioneer period, A.D. 
550-650, the Hohokam Sedentary period, A.D. 940-1150, and during the 
historical period. The human burials were associated with the 
prehistoric components of the site.
    In the years 1981 to 1987, 64 cultural items were removed from the 
Redtail Village site, AZ AA:12:149(ASM), in Tucson, Pima County, AZ. 
The legally authorized test excavations were conducted by Arizona 
Archeological and Historical Society (AAHS) under the direction of W.D. 
Hohmann in 1981. A second phase of excavations was conducted in 1983-
1987 by the Center for Desert Archaeology under the direction of Mary 
Bernard-Shaw. In 1995, the collections from the Arizona Archaeological 
and Historical Society excavations were loaned to ASM for a NAGPRA 
inventory and were later assigned an accession number. Archeological 
collections from the Center for Desert Archaeology excavations were 
brought to the museum at a later date and assigned a separate accession 
number. The 64 unassociated funerary objects are 16 animal bones, 42 
ceramic sherds, 5 chipped stones, and 1 ground stone. The Redtail 
Village site is a large multi-component site including a cemetery and 
plaza with multiple burials. While there is evidence at the site of 
earlier and later occupations, Redtail Village was occupied for the 
greater part of the Hohokam Colonial period, and was most intensively 
occupied between A.D. 750-850, based on ceramic typologies.
    In 1985, 20 cultural items were removed from the Dairy Site AZ, 
AA:12:285(ASM), in Pima County, AZ. The legally authorized excavations 
were conducted by ASM under the direction of John Madsen. The 
collections were brought to the museum at the end of the field season 
but no accession number was assigned. The 20 unassociated funerary 
objects are 3 ceramic sherds, 1 chipped stone, and 16 flotation 
samples. The Dairy Site is a multi-component site, including Late 
Archaic through Historical period occupations (2000 B.C.-A.D. 1950). 
However, the majority of the occupation is associated with the Late 
Archaic through Early Ceramic component (2000 B.C.-A.D. 650) and the 
cultural items listed here are likely from this time period.
    In 1984, two cultural items were removed from the West Branch Site 
AZ AA:16:3(ASM), Pima County, AZ. The legally authorized excavations 
were conducted by the Institute for American Research under the 
direction of William H. Doelle and Frederick W. Huntington for the Pima 
County Department of Transportation. After the completion of 
excavations, the archeological collections were brought to the museum 
and accessioned. The two unassociated funerary objects are one ceramic 
scoop and one flotation sample. The West Branch site was a large 
prehistoric settlement area and has Middle Archaic (4800 B.C.-1500 
B.C.), Late Archaic (1500 B.C.-A.D. 200), and Hohokam Pre-Classic 
Period (A.D. 450-1100) components. The cultural items found likely date 
to when the site was most intensively occupied during the Hohokam Pre-
Classic Period (A.D. 450-1100), based on the ceramic typologies.
    Prehistoric settlements in the Tucson Basin of southern Arizona are 
characterized by archeologists as belonging to two distinctive and 
consecutive cultural traditions beginning with the Late Archaic/Early 
Agricultural period and concluding with the Hohokam period. Recent 
archeological investigations have added support to the hypothesis that 
the Hohokam tradition arose from the earlier horizon, based on 
continuities in settlement pattern, architectural technologies, 
irrigation technologies, subsistence patterns, and material culture. It 
has been difficult for archeologists to date the beginning of the 
Hohokam period because the appearance of its distinctive cultural 
traits, including ceramic technologies and mortuary patterns was a 
gradual process spanning several hundred years. This adds further 
support to the hypothesis that the Hohokam tradition evolved in place 
from earlier Late Archaic traditions. Linguistic evidence furthermore 
suggests that the Hohokam tradition was multiethnic in nature.
    Cultural continuity between these prehistoric occupants of the 
Tucson Basin and present day O'odham peoples is supported by 
continuities in settlement pattern, architectural technologies, 
basketry, textiles, ceramic technology, and ritual practices. Oral 
traditions that are documented for the Ak Chin Indian Community of the 
Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Salt River 
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; 
and the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona support cultural affiliation 
with Late Archaic/Early Agricultural period and Hohokam sites in 
southern Arizona.
    Oral traditions that are documented for the Hopi Tribe also support 
cultural affiliation with Late Archaic/Early Agricultural period and 
Hohokam sites in the region. Several Hopi clans and religious societies 
are derived from ancestors who migrated from the south and likely 
identified with the Hohokam tradition.
    Oral traditions of medicine societies and kiva groups of the Zuni 
Tribe recount migration from distant portions of the Southwest to 
present day Zuni and supports affiliation with Hohokam and Late Archaic 
traditions. Historical linguistic analysis also suggests interaction 
between ancestral Zuni and

[[Page 53777]]

Uto-Aztecan speakers during the late Hohokam period.

Determinations Made by the Arizona State Museum

    Officials of ASM have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(B), the 2,079 cultural items 
described above 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the 
evidence, to have been removed from a specific burial site of a Native 
American individual.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the 
unassociated funerary objects and the Ak Chin Indian Community of the 
Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; 
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River 
Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; and Zuni Tribe 
of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian tribe or Native 
Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim 
these cultural items should submit a written request with information 
in support of the claim to John McClelland, NAGPRA Coordinator, P.O. 
Box 210026, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 
85721, telephone (520) 626-2950, by October 10, 2014. After that date, 
if no additional claimants have come forward, transfer of control of 
the unassociated funerary objects to the Ak Chin Indian Community of 
the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; 
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River 
Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; and Zuni Tribe 
of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico may proceed.
    The Arizona State Museum is responsible for notifying the Ak Chin 
Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; 
Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation; Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt 
River Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; and Zuni 
Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico, that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: August 1, 2014.
Melanie O'Brien,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014-21471 Filed 9-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P