State Repatriation Office

Arizona State Museum administers the protection, respectful treatment, and repatriation of human remains discovered on state and private land in Arizona (A.R.S. § 41-844 and § 41-865, respectively). State lands means lands owned or controlled by the State of Arizona or by any agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision of the State of Arizona, including any county or municipal corporation.

Among its responsibilities, the Repatriation Office oversees:

  • The discovery and repatriation of human remains discovered on state (A.R.S. § 41-844) and private (A.R.S. § 41-865) land in Arizona.
  • Burial Agreements for planned projects when there is reasonable expectation that human remains may be encountered.
  • Reports on the inadvertent discovery of human remains (contact Cristin Lucas (lucasc@email.arizona.edu | 520-626-2950).
  • Consultations regarding human remains discovery.

Questions about state repatriation should be directed to Claire Barker (csbarker@email.arizona.edu | 520-626-0320) or Cristin Lucas (lucasc@email.arizona.edu | 520-626-2950).

All requests for service from the ASM Repatriation Office use the ASM Request Quote for Services website found at: https://uavpr.arizona.edu/ASM/quoterequest. Please note that in addition to filling out the form on the quote request website, forms and additional backup documentation are required for all services. Links to forms, form instructions, and other guidance documents may be found here. 

A list of private consultants that may be able to assist in complying with state laws may be found here.

For information about federal consultation, visit the Government-to-Government Consultation Toolkit. Please note, the information in the toolkit does not supercede consultation under state law. 

Private Land Requirements

Private landowners, including any partnership or corporation thereof, must comply with state law (A.R.S. § 41-865) regarding the discovery and disturbance of human remains.

Any landowner with intention to disturb human remains or having unintentionally disturbed human remains shall immediately cease any disturbance and shall notify the Arizona State Museum of such disturbance or intent to disturb.

Report the discovery of human remains or intent to disturb human remains on private land to Cristin Lucas (lucasc@email.arizona.edu | 520-626-2950).

  • A list of private consultants that may be able to assist in complying with state laws may be found here.
  • Private land developers that are required by agencies other than ASM to have ASM’s archaeological records researched for cultural resources can request a Cultural Resources Summary Letter by completing and submitting the request form.

 

Learn more by reading Human Burials, Sacred Objects, & You.

See relevant Arizona state statutes.