Caltrans Unearths 357 Ancient Items During Sonoma Road Work
Published Date: 5/12/2026
Notice
Summary
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) finished checking and listing 357 ancient objects found during road work in Sonoma County. These items are linked to Native American tribes, and starting June 11, 2026, they can be officially returned to those tribes. Caltrans and Sonoma State University are still searching for four missing items, but no money changes hands in this process.
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Inventory of 357 Funerary Objects Completed
Caltrans completed an inventory of 357 associated funerary objects (catalog entries) found in Sonoma County. The objects include lithics, paleobotanicals, soil samples, faunal remains, shell, ground stone, and historic artifacts from excavations at CA-SON-348/H (Accession No. 2013-18).
Affiliation Identified With Two Tribes
Caltrans determined a cultural affiliation between the associated funerary objects and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria, California. That affiliation was established based on the available information and consultation.
Repatriation Available After June 11, 2026
Repatriation of the listed associated funerary objects may occur on or after June 11, 2026. Written repatriation requests must be sent to Cesar Villanueva, PQS Principal Investigator--Precontact Archaeology, California Department of Transportation, District 4, 111 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612, email [email protected].
Who May Request Repatriation
Requests may be submitted by (1) any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in the notice, or (2) any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in the notice that shows by a preponderance of the evidence a cultural affiliation. Competing requests must be resolved by Caltrans; joint requests are treated as a single request.
Four Catalog Numbers Still Missing
Of the 357 associated funerary objects, four catalog numbers are missing and Caltrans and Sonoma State University continue to look for them. Those four items are not currently available for repatriation while they remain missing.
Collection Housed at Sonoma State University
The collection resulting from Caltrans project-delivery excavations at CA-SON-348/H (2008 and 2009) is housed at Sonoma State University. The accession number is 2013-18.
No Hazardous Treatments Documented
Caltrans reports there are no known or documented potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the cultural items in the collection. That applies to the 357 associated funerary objects.
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