Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 22, 2024

Title 25 - Indians last revised: Mar 22, 2024
§ 700.805 - Definitions.

As used for purposes of this part:

(a) Act means the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470-aa-11).

(b) Archaeological resource means any material remains of human life or activities which are at least 100 years of age, and which are of archaeological interest.

(1) Of archaeological interest means capable of providing scientific or humanistic understandings of past human behavior, cultural adaptation, and related topics through the application of scientific or scholarly techniques such as controlled observation, contextual measurement, controlled collection, analysis, interpretation and explanation.

(2) Material remains means physical evidence of human habitation, occupation, use, or activity, including the site, location or context in which such evidence is situated.

(3) The following classes of material remains (and illustrative examples), if they are at least 100 years of age, are of archaeological interest and shall be considered archaeological resources unless determined otherwise pursuant to paragraph (a)(4) or (a)(5) of this section.

(i) Surface or subsurface structures, shelters, facilities, or features (including, but not limited to, domestic structures, storage structures, cooking structures, ceremonial structures, artificial mounds, earthworks, fortifications, canals, reservoirs, horticultural/agricultural gardens or fields, bedrock mortars, or grinding surfaces, rock alignments, cairns, trails, borrow pits, cooking pits, refuse pits, burial pits, or graves, hearths, kilns, post molds, wall trenches, middens);

(ii) Surface or subsurface artifact concentrations or scatters;

(iii) Whole or fragmentary tools, implements, containers, weapons, and weapon projectiles, clothing, and ornaments (including, but not limited to pottery and other ceramics, cordage, basketry and other weaving, bottles and other glasseware, bone, ivory, shell, metal, wood, hide, feathers, pigments, and flaked ground or pecked stone);

(iv) By products, waste products, or debris resulting from manufacture or use of human-made or natural materials;

(v) Organic waste (including, but not limited to vegetal and animal remains, coprolites);

(vi) Human remains (including, but not limited to, bone, teeth, mummified flesh, burials, cremations);

(vii) Rock carvings, rock paintings, intaglios, and other works of artistic or symbolic representation;

(viii) Rockshelters and caves or portions thereof containing any of the above material remains described in this paragraph (a);

(ix) All portions of shipwrecks (including, but not limited to, armaments, apparel, tackle, cargo);

(x) Any portion or piece of any material remains described in this paragraph (a).

(4) The following material remains shall not be considered of archaeological interest, and shall not be considered to be archaeological resources for purposes of the Act and this part, unless found in a direct physical relationship with archaeological resources as defined in this section:

(i) Paleontological remains;

(ii) Coins, bullets, and unworked minerals and rocks.

(5) The Federal Land Manager may determine that certain material remains, in specified areas under the Federal Land Manager's jurisdiction and under specified circumstances, are not or are no longer of archaeological interest and are not to be considered archaeological resources under this part. Any determination made pursuant to this paragraph (a)(5) shall be documented. Such determination shall in no way affect the Federal Land Manager's obligations under other applicable laws or regulations. Prior to making a determination that material remains are not or are no longer archaeological resources, the Federal Land Manager shall consult with the Navajo Nation to obtain their concurrences.

(c) Arrowhead means any projectile point which appears to have been designed for use with an arrow.

(d) Commissioner means the Commissioner of the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation. Reference to approval of other action by the Commissioner will also include approval or other action by another Federal Officer under delegated authority from the Commissioner.

(e) Federal Land Manager means: With respect to the New Lands, the Commissioner of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation, having primary management authority over such lands, including persons to whom such management authority has been officially delegated.

(f) Indian tribe or Tribe means the Navajo Nation.

(g) New Lands means the land acquired for the use of relocatees under the authority of Pub. L. 96-305, 25 U.S.C., 640(d)-10. These lands include the 250,000 acres of land acquired by the Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Commission and added to the Navajo Reservation, 150,000 acres of private lands previously owned by the Navajo Nation in fee and taken in trust by the United States pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 640d-10 and up to 35,000 acres of land in the State of New Mexico to be acquired and added to the Navajo Reservation.

(h) Office means the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation.

(i) Person means an individual, corporation, partnership, trust, institution, association, or any other private entity, or any officer, employee, agent, department, or instrumentality of the United States, or of any Indian tribe, or of any State or political subdivision thereof.

(j) State means any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

(k) Tribe means the Navajo Nation.

authority: Pub. L. 99-590; Pub. L. 93-531, 88 Stat. 1712 as amended by Pub. L. 96-305, 94 Stat. 929, Pub. L. 100-666, 102 Stat. 3929 (25 U.S.C. 640d)
source: 47 FR 2092, Jan. 14, 1982, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 25 CFR 700.805