North Carolina § 70-31 Archaeological investigation of human skeletal remains

North Carolina Statutes

§ 70-31 — Archaeological investigation of human skeletal remains

North Carolina § 70-31

Ch. 70Indian Antiquities, Archaeological Resources and Unmarked Human Skeletal Remains Protection

Art. 3Unmarked Human Burial and Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act

This text of North Carolina § 70-31 (Archaeological investigation of human skeletal remains) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 70-31 (2026).

Text

(a)If an agreement is reached with the landowner for the excavation of the human skeletal remains, the State Archaeologist shall either designate a member of his staff or authorize another professional archaeologist to excavate or supervise the excavation.

(b)The professional archaeologist excavating human skeletal remains shall report to the State Archaeologist, either in writing or by telephone, his opinion on the cultural and biological characteristics of the remains. This report shall be transmitted as soon as possible after the commencement of excavation, but no later than two full business days after the removal of a burial.

(c)The State Archaeologist, in consultation with the professional archaeologist excavating the remains, shall determine where the remains shall be held subseq

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(a) If an agreement is reached with the landowner for the excavation of the human skeletal remains, the State Archaeologist shall either designate a member of his staff or authorize another professional archaeologist to excavate or supervise the excavation.
(b) The professional archaeologist excavating human skeletal remains shall report to the State Archaeologist, either in writing or by telephone, his opinion on the cultural and biological characteristics of the remains. This report shall be transmitted as soon as possible after the commencement of excavation, but no later than two full business days after the removal of a burial.
(c) The State Archaeologist, in consultation with the professional archaeologist excavating the remains, shall determine where the remains shall be held subsequent to excavation, pending other arrangements according to G.S. 70-32 or 70-33.
(d) The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources may obtain administrative inspection warrants pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 15, Article 4A of the General Statutes to enforce the provisions of this Article, provided that prior to the requesting of the administrative warrant, the Department shall contact the affected landowners and request their consent for access to their land for the purpose of gathering such information. If consent is not granted, the Department shall give reasonable notice of the time, place and before whom the administrative warrant will be requested so that the owner or owners may have an opportunity to be heard. (1981, c. 853, s. 2; 2007-484, s. 10(d); 2015-241, s. 14.30(s).)