N_DPRI_ProjectsCulturalHistoricResourcePA_AppendixG.pdf

DPRI (Military Relocation) Projects Cultural/Historic Resource Programmatic Agreement (PA) Appendix G

Standard Operating Procedure for Discovery of Human Remains Revised April 2011

If human remains (or remains thought to be human) are discovered during the performance of activities on a DPRI project, the Contractor shall immediately cease all activities in the vicinity of the find, secure the area and follow the procedures outlined below.

1. The Contractor shall notify the ROICC and Government DPRI Archaeologist.

2. The ROICC and DPRI Archaeologist will further protect and secure the remains and any associated cultural material.

3. The DPRI Archaeologist shall determine if the skeletal remains are animal or human. This shall be done through a professional trained in the identification of human remains (such as an archaeologist, physical anthropologist, forensic specialist).

4. If the remains are human and were uncovered during a Navy construction project, the DPRI Archaeologist/CJRM CRM shall notify the contracting officer associated with the specific project per the contract clause referencing these procedures. Work shall stop within the immediate vicinity of the find. The contracting officer shall also be notified of all subsequent consultations regarding the remains.

5. Once determined to be human, the DPRI archaeologist, in association with the CJRM cultural resource manager, shall determine the age of deposition (time period) and ethnicity:

a. If the remains are determined to be modern, Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) will be notified by the DPRI Archaeologist or CJRM CRM.

b. If the remains are determined to be from World War II (WWII), pending jurisdiction, one of the following entities will be notified by the DPRI Archaeologist or CJRM CRM: NAVFAC Marianas Community Affairs/Public Relations Office, Joint POW/ MIA Accounting Command, or Consulate General of Japan. In all cases, a courtesy call will be made to the Guam SHPO to inform them that human skeletal remains from WWII were uncovered. However, the agencies listed above have jurisdiction over human remains from this time period.

c. If the remains are determined to be older than 50 years and not associated with WWII, the DPRI archaeologist, under the oversight of the CJRM cultural resource manager, shall notify the SHPO within three working days of the identification that the skeletal remains are human and are historic or prehistoric in nature.

d. If the age and/or ethnicity of the remains cannot be determined, the DPRI Archaeologist shall notify and consult with the Guam SHPO. Based on the consultation, a decision will be made to either preserve the remains in place or to remove them for further analysis in hopes that the age of deposition and ethnicity can eventually be determined so that the appropriate protocols can be followed.