# 2026-15515: Petersburg Battlefield to ditch prehistoric Native bones and tools

2026-15515, Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Petersburg National Battlefield, Petersburg, VA, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, National Park Service published 2026-07-31, effective 2026-08-31 (as of 2026-08-07).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15515
- As of: 2026-08-07
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-15515
- Title: Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Petersburg National Battlefield, Petersburg, VA
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; National Park Service
- Citation: 91 FR 48406
- Published: 2026-07-31
- Effective: 2026-08-31
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-08-07

## In one line

Petersburg Battlefield to ditch prehistoric Native bones and tools

## Summary

The National Park Service at Petersburg National Battlefield plans to return human remains and some old stone tools found during digs to Native American tribes or descendants starting August 31, 2026. If no one claims them by August 2, 2027, these remains and objects will be considered unclaimed. This affects tribes connected to the area and ensures respectful handling of these important cultural items.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Petersburg National Battlefield intends to carry out the disposition of human remains and associated funerary objects removed from Federal or Tribal lands to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization with priority for disposition in this notice.

## Effects PRIA read

- Repatriation to Listed Tribes: benefit, low. If you are a lineal descendant or member of one of the named tribes, Petersburg National Battlefield intends to return human remains and associated funerary objects (including one individual from March 2024 and a lot of lithic flakes from July 2024) to priority claimants. Disposition may occur on o…
- Claim Deadline and Unclaimed Status: cost, low. Written claims for disposition must be received by August 2, 2027; if no valid claim is received by that date, the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice will be considered unclaimed. Claims must be sent to Andrea Dekoter, Superintendent, Petersburg National Battlefi…

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## Sources
- [2026-15515 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/31/2026-15515/notice-of-intended-disposition-us-department-of-the-interior-national-park-service-petersburg)
- [2026-15515 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-07-31/pdf/2026-15515.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-15514, Notice of Inventory Completion: Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15514)
- [Next: 2026-15516, Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15516)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15515 (as of 2026-08-07).