Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, Sacramento, CA, 44450-44452 [2017-20299]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices
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 Three Affiliated Tribes
of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North
Dakota.
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
Ms. Sandra Barnum, U.S. Army
Engineer District, Omaha, ATTN:
CENWO–PM–AB, 1616 Capital Avenue,
Omaha, NE 68102, telephone, (402)
995–2674, email sandra.v.barnum@
usace.army.mil, by October 23, 2017.
After that date, if no additional
claimants have come forward, transfer
of control of the unassociated funerary
objects to the Three Affiliated Tribes of
the Fort Berthold Reservation, North
Dakota, may proceed.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Omaha District, is responsible for
notifying the Three Affiliated Tribes of
the Fort Berthold Reservation, North
Dakota, that this notice has been
published.
Dated: August 2, 2017.
Melanie O’Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2017–20294 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0023846;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region,
Sacramento, CA
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The U.S. Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation), Mid-Pacific Regional
Office, 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
SUMMARY:
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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 should submit
a written request to Reclamation, MidPacific Regional Office. 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 U.S. Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, MidPacific Regional Office, at the address in
this notice by October 23, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Melanie Ryan, NAGPRA
Specialist/Physical Anthropologist,
Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific
Regional Office, MP–153, 2800 Cottage
Way, Sacramento, CA 95825, telephone
(916) 978–5526, email emryan@
usbr.gov.
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
Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Regional
Office, Sacramento, CA. The human
remains and associated funerary objects
were removed from Calaveras and
Tuolumne Counties, CA.
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 Reclamation, MidPacific Regional Office, professional
staff in consultation with
representatives of the Bishop Paiute
Tribe (previously listed as the PaiuteShoshone Indians of the Bishop
Community of the Bishop Colony,
California) and the Tuolumne Band of
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Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne
Rancheria of California. The following
Indian Tribes were invited to consult
but did not participate in consultation:
The Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk
Indians; California Valley Miwok Tribe;
Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk
Indians; Ione Band of Miwok Indians;
Jackson Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians;
Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians;
and Wilton Rancheria (hereafter referred
to as ‘‘The Invited and Consulted
Tribes’’)
History and Description of the Remains
In August of 1975, human remains
representing, at minimum, one
individual, were inadvertently removed
from the Texas Charley Gulch site (CA–
CAL–0338, original site number 4–CAL–
S–286) in Calaveras County, CA. The
site was first excavated in 1975 by San
Francisco State University under the
direction of Dr. Michael Moratto. Three
burials were encountered in two of the
units, but the human remains were left
in situ. In 2013, SFSU notified
Reclamation of the existence of an
isolated left mandibular second
premolar in the CA–CAL–0338
collection. Physical custody was
transferred to Reclamation, Mid-Pacific,
on March 31, 2013. Subsequent
reanalysis of the site CA–CAL–0338
faunal assemblage by Reclamation, MidPacific, professional staff resulted in the
identification of an additional 97 pieces
of human bone. The fragmentary nature
of the remains precluded determination
of age or sex. No known individual was
identified. The five associated funerary
objects include four Olivella shell beads
and one Haliotis disc. A sixth grave
item, a bone awl fragment was not
among the items transferred by San
Francisco State University to
Reclamation, Mid-Pacific, in 2013.
Age estimates of CA–CAL–0338 are
based on temporally-diagnostic artifacts
and radiocarbon dates. Uncalibrated 14C
dates of 320 ±80 BP (Unit I–100–N, I–
9040) and 405 ±80 BP (Unit G–100–S, I–
9039) suggest a Late Horizon occupation
for all three burials. However, the
carbon samples were not directly
associated with the remains; rather they
were extracted from undifferentiated
midden deposits in the general vicinity
of the burials. The single Type M1a
Olivella bead found in association with
Burial 3 suggests that this individual
was interred sometime between the
beginning of the Middle Period (circa
200 B.C.) and the end of Phase 1 of the
Late Period (circa A.D. 1500). The Type
G2b Olivella beads, while not
definitively associated with Burials 2
and 5, are temporally diagnostic for the
timespan between the Early/Middle
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices
Period Transition (circa 500–200 B.C.)
and the end of the Middle Period (circa
A.D. 1000). A single H3b Haliotis flat
disc is consistent with an occupation
sometime prior to circa A.D. 500.
As the foregoing makes clear, there is
a fundamental disagreement between
the radiometric data and the index
artifacts for two of the three burials. The
radiocarbon data suggests that all three
burials date to circa A.D. 1500, which
would indicate a clear relationship with
the modern-day Me-Wuk. In the case of
Burial 3, this estimate is supported by
the Type M1a bead, which overlaps
with the radiocarbon date at the extreme
end of its temporal distribution.
However, the shell beads found with
Burials 2 and 5 indicate a much earlier
occupation, perhaps as early as 200 B.C.
Overlap in the temporal ranges of
Olivella G2b beads and Haliotis H3b flat
disc suggest that Burials 2 and 5 were
interred no later than A.D. 500.
Contextual ambiguity for both the
radiometric and index artifacts are not
resolvable, rendering these data largely
equivocal. For Burial 3, the sum totality
of the evidence is unambiguous and
clearly indicates a cultural affiliation
with the present-day Me-Wuk. In the
absence of any quantitative method for
determining interment dates for Burials
2 and 5, the existence of traditional
tribal lands of the present-day Me-Wuk
in the same geographical area is taken
as prima facie evidence of continuous
occupation of the site from antiquity
into the ethnographic present.
In August of 1972, human remains
representing, at minimum, one
individual, were removed from site CA–
TUO–0313 in Tuolumne County, CA.
Human remains consisting of one right
patella, one proximal hand phalanx, one
middle hand phalanx, and one cervical
vertebra were encountered by the
excavators. In 2016, re-examination of
the faunal assemblage by Reclamation
professional staff identified additional
human remains consisting of one
ischium fragment (side indeterminate),
one left pubis fragment, and four pieces
of unidentified human bone. The
human remains represent one adult of
indeterminate sex. No known individual
was identified. No associated funerary
objects are present. The vertical
distribution of human remains within a
single unit suggests the disturbed
interment of a single individual. The
preponderance of the available evidence
indicates that the human remains are
culturally affiliated with the present-day
Me-Wuk/Miwok.
In August of 1972, human remains
representing, at minimum, one
individual, were removed from site CA–
TUO–0314 in Tuolumne County, CA.
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Human remains consisting of a fragment
of a cervical vertebra and a rib were
encountered by the excavators. In 2016,
re-examination of the faunal assemblage
by Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region,
professional staff identified additional
human remains consisting of one
vertebra fragment, one cervical vertebra,
one rib, one first rib, and seventeen
sternum fragments. The human remains
represent one adult of indeterminate
sex. No known individual was
identified. No associated funerary
objects are present. The vertical
distribution of human remains within a
single unit suggests the disturbed
interment of a single individual. The
bulk of the site CA–TUO–0314 artifact
inventory consists of historic artifacts
and suggest the possibility that the
historic component of the site was
accumulated through aboriginal
activities. The artifacts are concentrated
on the surface and upper levels, but
occur in decreasing frequency all the
way to the base of the deposit. Based on
the artifact and contextual evidence,
both Johnson (1973:79) and Moratto et
al. (1988:193–194) estimate a brief-butintensive occupation during the Gold
Rush period. The preponderance of the
available evidence indicates that the
human remains are culturally affiliated
with the present-day Me-Wuk/Miwok.
In August of 1972, human remains
representing, at minimum, one
individual, were removed from site CA–
TUO–0307 in Tuolumne County, CA.
The human remains consist of a
fragment of a right femoral head and a
nearly-complete left third metacarpal
and represent one adult of
indeterminate sex. No known individual
was identified. No associated funerary
objects are present. The small size of the
site CA–TUO–0307 artifact inventory
precludes any precise temporal
placement, but two artifacts in the
collection are temporally diagnostic. A
single Stockton Serrated projectile point
suggests an occupation in the middle of
the Late Prehistoric period (A.D. 700–
1100). A single Type H1a Olivella bead
is temporally diagnostic to the Early
Mission period (A.D. 1770–1800).
Additionally, relatively few historic
artifacts were present at site CA–TUO–
0307. Most artifacts were found in the
upper excavation levels, and none
exhibiting any evidence of aboriginal
use and/or modification. This site falls
within the aboriginal lands of the MeWuk (Heizer 1978:ix, 400). Taken
together, these data indicate an
occupation beginning sometime during
the Late Prehistoric period, probably no
earlier than approximately A.D. 1200–
1300. The preponderance of the
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44451
evidence suggests that the human
remains are culturally affiliated with the
present-day Me-Wuk.
The collection from sites CA–TUO–
0313, CA–TUO–0314, and CA–TUO–
0307 was made by University of
California Field School, Davis, under
the direction of Patti Johnson.
Excavation of the sites was done in
compliance with an agreement between
the National Park Service and the
Foundation for Archaeological
Research, Phase IV, of the New Melones
Reservoir Archaeological Project. In
1978, ownership of the New Melones
Dam and Reservoir transferred to the
Department of the Interior, who directed
Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, to be
responsible for its operation and
maintenance. The archeological
collections resulting from the
construction project were also
transferred to Reclamation, Mid-Pacific
Region. In 2014, the collection was
moved to the New Melones Curation
Facility (NMCF) located near the New
Melones Visitors Center, Tuolumne
County, CA. No intact burials were
recorded during the excavations.
Determinations Made by the Bureau of
Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region
Officials of the Bureau of
Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, have
determined that:
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the
human remains described in this notice
represent the physical remains of a
minimum of four individuals of Native
American ancestry.
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A),
the five 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 the Buena Vista Rancheria
of Me-Wuk Indians; California Valley
Miwok Tribe; Chicken Ranch Rancheria
of Me-Wuk Indians; Ione Band of
Miwok Indians; Jackson Rancheria of
Me-Wuk Indians; Shingle Springs Band
of Miwok Indians; Tuolumne Band of
Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne
Rancheria of California; and Wilton
Rancheria.
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 should submit
a written request with information in
support of the request to Melanie Ryan,
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44452
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices
NAGPRA Specialist/Physical
Anthropologist, Bureau of Reclamation,
Mid-Pacific Office, MP–153, 2800
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825,
telephone (916) 978–5526, email
emryan@usbr.gov, by October 23, 2017.
After that date, if no additional
requestors have come forward, transfer
of control of the human remains and
associated funerary objects to the Buena
Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians;
California Valley Miwok Tribe; Chicken
Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians;
Ione Band of Miwok Indians; Jackson
Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians; Shingle
Springs Band of Miwok Indians;
Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of
the Tuolumne Rancheria of California;
and Wilton Rancheria may proceed.
The Bureau of Reclamation, MidPacific Region, is responsible for
notifying The Invited and Consulted
Tribes that this notice has been
published.
Dated: August 1, 2017.
Melanie O’Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2017–20299 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0024070;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha
District, Omaha, NE, and State
Archaeological Research Center,
Rapid City, SD
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Omaha District, 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 U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Omaha District. If no
additional requestors come forward,
transfer of control of the human remains
and associated funerary objects to the
lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or
SUMMARY:
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18:11 Sep 21, 2017
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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 U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Omaha District, at the
address in this notice by October 23,
2017.
ADDRESSES: Ms. Sandra Barnum, U.S.
Army Engineer District, Omaha, ATTN:
CENWO–PM–AB, 1616 Capital Avenue,
Omaha, NE 68102, telephone, (402)
995–2674, email sandra.v.barnum@
usace.army.mil.
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
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha
District. The human remains and
associated funerary objects were
removed from site 39BF231, Buffalo
County, SD.
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 and associated funerary objects
was made by the State Archaeological
Research Center and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Omaha District,
professional staff in consultation with
representatives of the Yankton Sioux
Tribe of South Dakota.
History and Description of the Remains
In 1961, human remains representing,
at minimum, two individuals were
removed from site 39BF231 in Buffalo
County, SD. The human remains were
collected by Robert W. Neuman of the
Smithsonian Institution, when thirteen
coffin burials were excavated prior to
construction of a new Highway 47. The
human remains are determined to be
Native American based on the location
of the site, which is near the Crow Creek
Indian Reservation. The human remains
and associated funerary objects were
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stored at the Midwest Archeological
Center (MWAC). The human remains
were transferred from MWAC in 1964 to
the University of Kansas, then to the
University of Tennessee-Knoxville in
1971, and then to the Smithsonian
Institution in 1979. The human remains
are currently at the Smithsonian
Institution and are not included in the
Notice. MWAC did not transfer the
funerary objects and the human remains
together. Instead, MWAC transferred the
funerary objects to the South Dakota
State Archaeological Research Center
(SARC) in 1987. In 1999 and 2000,
SARC found human remains—
mummified skin and hair—among the
funerary objects. The mummified skin
and hair are from two individual burials
collected by Neuman in 1961. These
human remains are currently housed at
SARC. No known individuals were
identified. The 1,351 associated
funerary objects are 1,046 glass beads,
141 shell beads, 81 brass beads, 1 brass
button, 16 glass buttons, 4 silver
earrings, 1 vial of seeds, 2 wood
fragments, 1 antler and brass handle, 1
chipped stone, 1 mirror with brass
frame, 2 iron nails, 1 brass pendant, 3
pipe preforms, 38 iron pot fragments, 1
iron ring, 1 spoon, 2 brass tacks, 3 linen
fragments, 3 wool fragments, and 2 brass
thimbles.
The use of coffins for Native
American burials and the alignment of
the burials in rows are representative of
the post-1870s, Early Reservation Period
at the nearby Crow Creek Indian
Reservation. By the 1870s, the
reservation was inhabited by the
Yanktonai. The associated funerary
objects are consistent with Yanktonai
historic burials. The Yanktonai today
are represented by the Yankton Sioux
Tribe of South Dakota. Consultation
with the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South
Dakota indicates that the associated
funerary objects listed in this notice are
the kinds of objects that were typically
placed with individuals at the time of
death.
Determinations Made by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Omaha District
Officials of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Omaha District, have
determined that:
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the
human remains described in this notice
represent the physical remains of two
individuals of Native American
ancestry.
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A),
the 1,351 objects described in this
notice are reasonably believed to have
been placed with or near individual
human remains at the time of death or
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 183 (Friday, September 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44450-44452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20299]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0023846; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, Sacramento, CA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation), Mid-Pacific Regional Office, 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 should submit a written request to Reclamation, Mid-Pacific
Regional Office. 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 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau
of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Regional Office, at the address in this
notice by October 23, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Melanie Ryan, NAGPRA Specialist/Physical Anthropologist,
Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Regional Office, MP-153, 2800
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825, telephone (916) 978-5526, email
emryan@usbr.gov.
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 Reclamation, Mid-
Pacific Regional Office, Sacramento, CA. The human remains and
associated funerary objects were removed from Calaveras and Tuolumne
Counties, CA.
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 Reclamation,
Mid-Pacific Regional Office, professional staff in consultation with
representatives of the Bishop Paiute Tribe (previously listed as the
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony,
California) and the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne
Rancheria of California. The following Indian Tribes were invited to
consult but did not participate in consultation: The Buena Vista
Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians; California Valley Miwok Tribe; Chicken
Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians; Ione Band of Miwok Indians; Jackson
Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians; Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians; and
Wilton Rancheria (hereafter referred to as ``The Invited and Consulted
Tribes'')
History and Description of the Remains
In August of 1975, human remains representing, at minimum, one
individual, were inadvertently removed from the Texas Charley Gulch
site (CA-CAL-0338, original site number 4-CAL-S-286) in Calaveras
County, CA. The site was first excavated in 1975 by San Francisco State
University under the direction of Dr. Michael Moratto. Three burials
were encountered in two of the units, but the human remains were left
in situ. In 2013, SFSU notified Reclamation of the existence of an
isolated left mandibular second premolar in the CA-CAL-0338 collection.
Physical custody was transferred to Reclamation, Mid-Pacific, on March
31, 2013. Subsequent reanalysis of the site CA-CAL-0338 faunal
assemblage by Reclamation, Mid-Pacific, professional staff resulted in
the identification of an additional 97 pieces of human bone. The
fragmentary nature of the remains precluded determination of age or
sex. No known individual was identified. The five associated funerary
objects include four Olivella shell beads and one Haliotis disc. A
sixth grave item, a bone awl fragment was not among the items
transferred by San Francisco State University to Reclamation, Mid-
Pacific, in 2013.
Age estimates of CA-CAL-0338 are based on temporally-diagnostic
artifacts and radiocarbon dates. Uncalibrated \14\C dates of 320 80 BP (Unit I-100-N, I-9040) and 405 80 BP (Unit G-
100-S, I-9039) suggest a Late Horizon occupation for all three burials.
However, the carbon samples were not directly associated with the
remains; rather they were extracted from undifferentiated midden
deposits in the general vicinity of the burials. The single Type M1a
Olivella bead found in association with Burial 3 suggests that this
individual was interred sometime between the beginning of the Middle
Period (circa 200 B.C.) and the end of Phase 1 of the Late Period
(circa A.D. 1500). The Type G2b Olivella beads, while not definitively
associated with Burials 2 and 5, are temporally diagnostic for the
timespan between the Early/Middle
[[Page 44451]]
Period Transition (circa 500-200 B.C.) and the end of the Middle Period
(circa A.D. 1000). A single H3b Haliotis flat disc is consistent with
an occupation sometime prior to circa A.D. 500.
As the foregoing makes clear, there is a fundamental disagreement
between the radiometric data and the index artifacts for two of the
three burials. The radiocarbon data suggests that all three burials
date to circa A.D. 1500, which would indicate a clear relationship with
the modern-day Me-Wuk. In the case of Burial 3, this estimate is
supported by the Type M1a bead, which overlaps with the radiocarbon
date at the extreme end of its temporal distribution. However, the
shell beads found with Burials 2 and 5 indicate a much earlier
occupation, perhaps as early as 200 B.C. Overlap in the temporal ranges
of Olivella G2b beads and Haliotis H3b flat disc suggest that Burials 2
and 5 were interred no later than A.D. 500.
Contextual ambiguity for both the radiometric and index artifacts
are not resolvable, rendering these data largely equivocal. For Burial
3, the sum totality of the evidence is unambiguous and clearly
indicates a cultural affiliation with the present-day Me-Wuk. In the
absence of any quantitative method for determining interment dates for
Burials 2 and 5, the existence of traditional tribal lands of the
present-day Me-Wuk in the same geographical area is taken as prima
facie evidence of continuous occupation of the site from antiquity into
the ethnographic present.
In August of 1972, human remains representing, at minimum, one
individual, were removed from site CA-TUO-0313 in Tuolumne County, CA.
Human remains consisting of one right patella, one proximal hand
phalanx, one middle hand phalanx, and one cervical vertebra were
encountered by the excavators. In 2016, re-examination of the faunal
assemblage by Reclamation professional staff identified additional
human remains consisting of one ischium fragment (side indeterminate),
one left pubis fragment, and four pieces of unidentified human bone.
The human remains represent one adult of indeterminate sex. No known
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
The vertical distribution of human remains within a single unit
suggests the disturbed interment of a single individual. The
preponderance of the available evidence indicates that the human
remains are culturally affiliated with the present-day Me-Wuk/Miwok.
In August of 1972, human remains representing, at minimum, one
individual, were removed from site CA-TUO-0314 in Tuolumne County, CA.
Human remains consisting of a fragment of a cervical vertebra and a rib
were encountered by the excavators. In 2016, re-examination of the
faunal assemblage by Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, professional
staff identified additional human remains consisting of one vertebra
fragment, one cervical vertebra, one rib, one first rib, and seventeen
sternum fragments. The human remains represent one adult of
indeterminate sex. No known individual was identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. The vertical distribution of human
remains within a single unit suggests the disturbed interment of a
single individual. The bulk of the site CA-TUO-0314 artifact inventory
consists of historic artifacts and suggest the possibility that the
historic component of the site was accumulated through aboriginal
activities. The artifacts are concentrated on the surface and upper
levels, but occur in decreasing frequency all the way to the base of
the deposit. Based on the artifact and contextual evidence, both
Johnson (1973:79) and Moratto et al. (1988:193-194) estimate a brief-
but-intensive occupation during the Gold Rush period. The preponderance
of the available evidence indicates that the human remains are
culturally affiliated with the present-day Me-Wuk/Miwok.
In August of 1972, human remains representing, at minimum, one
individual, were removed from site CA-TUO-0307 in Tuolumne County, CA.
The human remains consist of a fragment of a right femoral head and a
nearly-complete left third metacarpal and represent one adult of
indeterminate sex. No known individual was identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. The small size of the site CA-TUO-0307
artifact inventory precludes any precise temporal placement, but two
artifacts in the collection are temporally diagnostic. A single
Stockton Serrated projectile point suggests an occupation in the middle
of the Late Prehistoric period (A.D. 700-1100). A single Type H1a
Olivella bead is temporally diagnostic to the Early Mission period
(A.D. 1770-1800). Additionally, relatively few historic artifacts were
present at site CA-TUO-0307. Most artifacts were found in the upper
excavation levels, and none exhibiting any evidence of aboriginal use
and/or modification. This site falls within the aboriginal lands of the
Me-Wuk (Heizer 1978:ix, 400). Taken together, these data indicate an
occupation beginning sometime during the Late Prehistoric period,
probably no earlier than approximately A.D. 1200-1300. The
preponderance of the evidence suggests that the human remains are
culturally affiliated with the present-day Me-Wuk.
The collection from sites CA-TUO-0313, CA-TUO-0314, and CA-TUO-0307
was made by University of California Field School, Davis, under the
direction of Patti Johnson. Excavation of the sites was done in
compliance with an agreement between the National Park Service and the
Foundation for Archaeological Research, Phase IV, of the New Melones
Reservoir Archaeological Project. In 1978, ownership of the New Melones
Dam and Reservoir transferred to the Department of the Interior, who
directed Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, to be responsible for its
operation and maintenance. The archeological collections resulting from
the construction project were also transferred to Reclamation, Mid-
Pacific Region. In 2014, the collection was moved to the New Melones
Curation Facility (NMCF) located near the New Melones Visitors Center,
Tuolumne County, CA. No intact burials were recorded during the
excavations.
Determinations Made by the Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region
Officials of the Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, have
determined that:
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described
in this notice represent the physical remains of a minimum of four
individuals of Native American ancestry.
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the five 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 the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians;
California Valley Miwok Tribe; Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk
Indians; Ione Band of Miwok Indians; Jackson Rancheria of Me-Wuk
Indians; Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians; Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk
Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria of California; and Wilton Rancheria.
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 should submit a
written request with information in support of the request to Melanie
Ryan,
[[Page 44452]]
NAGPRA Specialist/Physical Anthropologist, Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-
Pacific Office, MP-153, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825,
telephone (916) 978-5526, email emryan@usbr.gov, by October 23, 2017.
After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward,
transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary
objects to the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians; California
Valley Miwok Tribe; Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians; Ione
Band of Miwok Indians; Jackson Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians; Shingle
Springs Band of Miwok Indians; Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the
Tuolumne Rancheria of California; and Wilton Rancheria may proceed.
The Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, is responsible for
notifying The Invited and Consulted Tribes that this notice has been
published.
Dated: August 1, 2017.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2017-20299 Filed 9-21-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
