Please Put Them Back: A Non-NAGPRA Case of Reburial

Wupatki National Monument archaeologists recently recovered artifacts from an exposed cist that were about to fall into a newly formed wash due to intensified downpours related to climate change. Monument staff worked with traditionally associated tribes to create an emergency excavation plan and a contingency for the reburial of cist contents should human remains be encountered. When no human remains were found, the Wupatki curator accessioned and cataloged the cist contents which included seven intact prehistoric pots. Because intact pottery is seldom found outside of a burial context, the monument and its Friend’s Group sought to place the items on display. However, when the Wupatki curator consulted with Hopi elders about the cist contents for the exhibit, she learned that what archaeologists thought to be a “pot cache” was something else entirely. The article discusses the events that led to the eventual “accession by mistake” process, the reburial of the cist contents, and the resulting lessons learned.