Please Put it Back: A Non-NAGPRA Case of Reburial

Summary

This is an abstract from the "To Curate or Not to Curate: Surprises, Remorse, and Archaeological Grey Area" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Due to recent erosion from intensified downpours related to global warming, Wupatki National Monument archaeologists recovered artifacts from an exposed cyst that were about to fall into a newly formed wash. Working with traditionally associated tribes, the monument created an emergency excavation plan and a contingency for the reburial of cyst contents should human remains be encountered. When no human remains were found, the monument accessioned and cataloged the cyst contents, including seven intact pots. Because intact pottery is seldom found outside of a burial context, the monument and its Friend's Group sought to place the items on display. When monument personnel consulted with Hopi elders about the cyst and contents for the exhibit, however, they learned that what they thought was a "pot cache" was something else entirely. This paper discusses the events that led to the eventual reburial of the cyst contents and the resulting lessons learned.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• To Curate or Not to Curate: Surprises, Remorse, and Archaeological Grey Area

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24333