Cave Full of Ancient Remains Heads Back to Tribes
Published Date: 2/23/2026
Notice
Summary
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has finished checking human remains and over 1,500 related items found in a Montgomery County cave. These remains belong to Native American tribes connected to the site, and they can be returned to those tribes starting March 25, 2026. This means important cultural treasures will soon go back to their rightful communities, honoring their history and heritage.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation Available March 25, 2026
Human remains representing at least three individuals and 1,581 associated funerary object lots from site 40MT43 (Dunbar Cave), Montgomery County, TN, can be returned to affiliated Native American groups on or after March 25, 2026. The TDEC-DOA identified cultural affiliation with the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Shawnee Tribe; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Osage Nation; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
Collection Treated as Mortuary Context
Because fragmentary human remains were widespread in the collection and excavation context was compromised, the TDEC-DOA treated the entire 40MT43 collection as a mortuary context. The inventory lists 1,581 lots including 733 lithic lots, 177 ceramic lots, 444 faunal lots, 110 botanical lots, 25 carbon sample lots, and 92 unsorted pre-contact lots.
Who May Request Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation must be sent to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology (attention Phillip R. Hodge). Requests may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations named in this notice, or by a lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not named that shows by a preponderance of the evidence a cultural affiliation.
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