Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of Anthropology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 54532-54534 [2022-19163]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54532-54534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19163]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0034444; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of Anthropology, 
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Anthropology at Florida Atlantic University 
has completed an inventory of human remains, 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 Department of Anthropology at Florida Atlantic University. 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 Department of Anthropology at the address 
in this notice by October 6, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meredith Ellis, Department of 
Anthropology, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, 
FL 33431, telephone (561) 297-3230, 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 Department of 
Anthropology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from various 
locations throughout the State of Florida.
    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 Department of Anthropology at Florida Atlantic 
University professional staff in consultation with representatives of 
the Seminole Tribe of Florida (previously listed as Seminole Tribe of 
Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood, & Tampa 
Reservations)). The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians; The Muscogee (Creek) 
Nation; and The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma were invited to consult but 
did not participate. Hereafter, all the Indian Tribes listed in this 
section are referred to as ``The Consulted and Invited Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    In April of 1973, human remains representing, at minimum, 35 
individuals were removed from the Boynton Beach Mound Site (8PB100) in 
Palm Beach, FL, by Kenneth Horton and Howard Jaffee of the Palm Beach 
Archaeological Society. The Boynton Beach Mound Site dates from 150 
B.C. to the time of European contact. Radiocarbon dates from samples of 
the excavated areas give dates of 150 B.C. and A.D. 400. In December of 
1985, the human remains were transferred to Florida Atlantic University 
(FAU). The human remains are fragmentary and include partial crania and 
teeth. No known individuals were identified. The 929 associated 
funerary objects are glass, gold, and silver burial beads identified by 
Robert Carr as 16th century and Spanish.
    Between May and June of 1980, human remains representing, at 
minimum 55 individuals were removed from the Briarwoods Site (8PA66) in 
Pasco County, FL, by J. Mitchem during a salvage operation associated 
with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florida, 
Gainesville. The Briarwoods Site is a small prehistoric Native American 
sand burial site. It was occupied during the Safety Harbor Period (A.D. 
1400-1513) and might have contained an earlier, Weeden Island component 
(A.D. 1000-1500). In 1981, the skeletal remains were transferred to FAU 
by the University of South Florida, Tampa. The human remains are 
fragmentary, and age or sex were unable to be determined. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    In December of 1980, human remains representing, at minimum, four 
individuals were removed from the Brickell Bluff Site (8DA1082) in Dade 
County, FL, by Robert S. Carr during a salvage excavation. The site is 
a prehistorical coastal mortuary site dated as a late Archaic (4000-
3000 BP). In December 1980, the fragmented skeletal remains were 
transferred to FAU. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    In 1980, human remains representing, at minimum, 16 individuals 
were removed from the Flagami South Site (8DA1053) in Dade County, FL, 
by Robert S. Carr in a salvage excavation. The Flagami South Site is 
dated Late Archaic/Transitional Glades I-II through early Glades III 
period of Spanish Contact. In 1980, the human skeletal remains from the 
site were transferred to FAU. They are fragmentary and include two 
likely males and four likely females. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1980, human remains representing, at minimum, 99 individuals 
were removed from the Highland Beach Site (8PB11) in Palm Beach County, 
FL, by Yasar Mehmet Iscan of FAU during a salvage excavation. The site 
dates from A.D. 800 to 1200. Commingled cranial and postcranial 
elements, many fragmentary, were removed from the site. The human 
remains include 45 males and 49 females. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1959, human remains representing, at minimum, 12 individuals 
were removed during the digging of a drainage canal at the Margate-
Blount

[[Page 54533]]

site (8BD41) in Broward County, FL. The site was occupied for the 
entirety of the post-archaic period, including during the period of 
European contact. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    In April of 1985, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed during a salvage excavation at the Nebot Site 
(8PB219) in Palm Beach County, FL, by archeologists from FAU. The site 
is dated Glades IIIc. The human remains are fragmentary and belong to 
two females, one of whom was approximately 16-17 years old and the 
other approximately 35-39 years old. No known individuals were 
recovered. The 11 associated funerary objects are one bone knife; two 
bone pins; one bone scraper; one stone projectile point; four 
unmodified shark teeth; and two shell fragments.
    Between 1976 and 1977, human remains representing, at minimum, 
seven individuals were removed during a salvage operation at the 
Patrician Mound Site (8PB99) in Palm Beach County, FL, by the Palm 
Beach County Archaeological Society. The site is dated as Glades I-III 
with carbon-14 dates ranging from 4000 years ago to 1200 years ago. The 
skeletal remains and funerary objects were transferred to FAU in 1985. 
No known individuals were identified. The 25 associated funerary 
objects are 25 ampullaria snail shells.
    In 1968, human remains representing, at minimum, 37 individuals 
were removed from the Republic Groves Site (8Hr4) in Hardee County, FL, 
by Mitchell Hope, William Sears, and Audrey Sublett of FAU. The site is 
dated as late Middle Archaic through the Paleoindian period, 4600 B.C. 
through 2000 B.C. The human remains are commingled. Some of them belong 
to subadults, 6 to 7 years old. No known individuals were identified. 
No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1981, human remains representing, at minimum, six individuals 
were removed from the Santa Maria site (8DA2132) in Miami-Dade County, 
FL, by Dr. Mehmet Yasar Iscan and Robert Carr and brought to FAU. The 
site is dated as Late Archaic Period, 4000-3000 BP.
    The human remains are commingled. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1983, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed during construction monitoring at the Jose Marti Site 
(8DA3220) in Dade County, FL, by Robert Carr and Associates. The site 
is dated Glades I. The Florida Master Site file mentions faunal remains 
and pottery, includes a brief mention of a partial cranium, and lists 
the Historical Museum of Southern Florida as the repository for 
materials from the excavation. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1971, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed during a surface collection at Emerald Towers (8BD57) in 
Broward County, FL, by Furey and Steinen. The site likely dates to 
between Glades I and Glades II. The human remains are fragmentary. No 
known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    In 1965, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from Joseph Reed Mound (8MT13) in Martin County, FL. Prior 
investigation of the mound identified it as a large shell ring site. 
The human remains were sent to FAU by Ranger Bacheller, on behalf of 
the then-site owner Nat Reed. The human remains are comprised of a 
partial skull. No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    At an unknown time, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from Bull Head Grove #5/Uzell Pens in Glades 
County, FL. There is little to no information on the human remains, 
which consist of several fragments of human bone and teeth. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    In 1967, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from the Hutchinson Island/Gilbert Bar Site (8MT14c) in 
Martin County, FL, by William Dias and Ronald Pagel. They identified 
the site as a burial mound, 50% of which had already been destroyed by 
pot hunters. Their notes indicate that extensive human remains were 
collected from the burial mound, and that the Martin County Historical 
Society had been conducting its own excavations at the site. 
Apparently, the Florida Master Site File for the 1967 excavation no 
longer exists, though the current Master Site File for 8MT37 may be 
related to this excavation. The human remains are fragmentary and 
commingled, and the MNI is based on two left patellae. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    In 1972, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from the Boca Weir/Jap Rock Site (8PB56) in Palm Beach 
County, FL, by John F. Furey. Furey associated the site with the 
Spanish River Complex. The skeletal elements are commingled and 
fragmentary. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    Between 1978 and 1980, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from the Rivera Beach Site (8PB30) in Palm 
Beach County, FL, by the Palm Beach Archaeological Society. The site is 
dated Glades III. The two skeletal elements at FAU likely derive from 
the 1978 excavations. No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from the Kendall Site (8DA1081) in Dade County, 
FL, by persons unknown. The site is dated Glades II-III site and has 
been extensively excavated. The human remains are commingled and 
fragmentary. No known individual was identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, five 
individuals were removed from the TaMiami Trail Site (8DA33) in Dade 
County, FL. Although when or by whom the human remains were excavated 
cannot be certain, the Florida Master Site file does indicate that John 
Goggin conducted a surface collection in 1952. Goggin, though, never 
mentioned collecting any human remains. In his work he notes that the 
site he excavated in 1952 is likely Glades Ib. The human remains are 
commingled and fragmentary. No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1975, human remains representing, at minimum, 15 individuals 
were removed during a salvage excavation at Belle Glade Mound (8PB41) 
in Palm Beach County, FL, by Aubrey Sublett. In addition to the human 
remains at FAU, skeletal elements, including complete skulls, are 
listed as being curated at the Palm Beach Museum of Natural History and 
at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The human remains are 
comingled and fragmentary. No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Sometime around 1970, human remains representing, at minimum, 20 
individuals were removed from Canal Point 2 (8PB45) in Palm Beach 
County, FL. Sugar company employees found human remains while digging 
ditches at the site. Very little information is recorded about this 
discovery and removal or how the human remains entered the collection 
at FAU. The human remains are comprised of over

[[Page 54534]]

1,400 skeletal fragments. No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1966, human remains representing, at minimum, 11 individuals 
were removed from Canal Point 3 (8PB046) in Palm Beach County, FL. In 
1966, the United States Sugar Corporation reported human remains at the 
site. Excavations in multiple trench sites uncovered a large amount of 
human bones and cultural materials. Prior excavations, in 1939, 
resulted in the removal of additional human skeletal remains which, 
according to the Florida Master Site file, were sent to the Smithsonian 
Institution. The human remains are commingled and are comprised of 
approximately 1,461 fragments, including the nearly complete skull of a 
probable female. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from a burial site at Hialeah (8DA82A) in Dade 
County, FL. No other documentation exists for this site, and this 
burial is not mentioned in the Florida Master Site File. However, 
records from archeologist D.D. Laxson, housed at FAU, indicate that he 
excavated four locations at DA82, Hialeah 1-4, and encountered another, 
partial historic Seminole burial, which he reported in a 1954 Florida 
Anthropologist article. It seems likely that this burial is from a 
related area. The well-preserved human remains belong to a young adult 
male, 17-23 years old. Reconstruction of the skull by a previous 
researcher shows that this individual had sustained at least four sharp 
force trauma wounds. In addition, the postcranial skeleton exhibits 
extensive perimortem crushing injuries, suggesting that the individual 
was trampled, perhaps by a horse. This individual appears to be a 
historic Seminole based on preservation, site location, and trauma 
patterns. No known individual was identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.

Determinations Made by the Department of Anthropology, Florida Atlantic 
University

    Officials of the Department of Anthropology, Florida Atlantic 
University have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 336 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 965 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 Seminole 
Tribe of Florida (previously listed as Seminole Tribe of Florida 
(Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood, & Tampa Reservations)).

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 Meredith Ellis, Department of Anthropology, 
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, telephone (561) 297-
4768, 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 Seminole Tribe of 
Florida (previously listed as Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big 
Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood, & Tampa Reservations)) may proceed.
    The Department of Anthropology, Florida Atlantic University is 
responsible for notifying The Consulted and Invited Tribes that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: August 29, 2022.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2022-19163 Filed 9-2-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P