OSA is the appropriate agency to contact regarding the
discovery of human physical remains or suspected human physical remains
believed to be over 150 years in age. OSA should be notified of the location of
areas believed to represent ancient burial grounds. The director has the
authority to deny permission to disinter human physical remains from aboriginal
ossuaries, grave sites, cemeteries or any other archaeological deposit
determined to have state and national significance from the standpoint of
history or science.
(1) A site will be
judged significant if it has been demonstrated by archaeological investigation,
including but not limited to excavation and analysis appropriate to the
context, that it possesses one or more of the qualities listed below:
a. Substantial information bearing on the
biology of past populations.
b.
Substantial information bearing on the technology, society or ideology of past
populations.
c. Potential for
public interpretation of past lifeways.
(2) The basis for the determination of
significance shall be specified in the written report filed with the public
health department.
(3) If a site is
determined to be significant by these rules and is designated by the director
to be preserved, any human physical remains recovered during testing may be
reinterred at the original burial site rather than at one of the designated
state cemeteries. Sites that are judged not to be significant will be salvaged
by OSA or its designated representative to the degree permitted by available
funding and staff. In such cases, materials recovered will be the subject of a
written report and the human remains will be reburied in one of the designated
state cemeteries.
(4) The OSA shall
maintain records of all known or suspected ancient burial sites in the state.
The OSA has the authority to coordinate activities pertaining to ancient burial
grounds in order to foster their protection and preservation.
(5) The OSA will not assume financial
responsibility for intermediate- to large-scale actions involving the removal
of human physical remains from private lands. The OSA must participate,
however, in the authorization and coordination of any such action on federal,
state, county, municipal or private lands.
(6) OSA will assist with the ongoing
identification of ancient cemetery areas to the degree permitted by available
funding and staff. OSA will coordinate such actions with appropriate federal,
state, county, municipal or private concerns.
(7) The director shall maintain an informal
advisory committee composed of osteologists, anthropologists, state agency
officials, the lay public, and a minimum of two Native Americans residing in
Iowa to consult on matters dealing with ancient human skeletal remains.
Individuals appointed will serve on a voluntary basis. Certain travel expenses,
authorized by the director in advance, will be paid by the OSA.
