Icon of a law gavel

State law (Chapter 263B) requires the Board of Regents to appoint a State Archaeologist, who shall be a faculty member of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Iowa. As in many other states, the State Archaeologist directs a program of statewide archaeological research, service, and education. 

Unlike many other states, Iowa has limited local or state-level protections for archaeological resources. When federal funds or permits are not involved in ground-disturbing projects, the OSA relies heavily on the cooperation of developers, project managers, land owners, and other interested citizens to take the steps necessary to protect, preserve, or salvage archaeological discoveries. For its part, OSA in these situations is most interested in quickly getting infrastructure development on track while mitigating effects on archaeological resources.

However, it is important that property owners, local and county officials, and developers are aware that intentional disturbance of burials violates Iowa state law and could lead to prosecution as an aggravated misdemeanor (Iowa Code, Chapter 716.5). As specified in the Iowa Code, Chapter 263B, the Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) is the proper authority to contact concerning information on ancient burials, defined as over 150 years old

In 1976, Iowa became a national leader by enacting the law to protect ancient burial sites to reinter ancient human remains. No longer were recent, marked cemeteries the only burial sites clearly protected by law. Statutory protection was extended to all human remains over 150 years in age, encompassing Iowa's original inhabitants. The law and its administrative rules prohibit unauthorized disinterment and establish a process for examining and reburying ancient skeletal remains. Reburial is conducted at protected, state-owned sites. The law involves coordination between OSA and the Indian community through the OSA Indian Advisory Council (IAC). 

State Statutes on Protecting Ancient Human Remains

Federal Laws

A map of the United States showing the names and locations of OSA's NAGPRA signatory Tribes

OSA's NAGPRA Signatories

26 Tribes are NAGPRA signatories with OSA to support Iowa's process for the reburial of culturally unaffiliated ancient human remains. In alphabetical order, they are:

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota Ho-Chunk Nation
Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota Meskwaki Nation
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
Osage Nation Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska
Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma Santee Sioux Nation, Nebraska
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Region, South Dakota Spirit Lake Nation
Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota Upper Sioux Community, Minnesota
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota