RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WTOC/Gray News) – The federal government is suing a Georgia real estate developer for allegedly destroying thousands of Native American artifacts, including human remains.

Savannah Land Holdings is accused of violating a 404 permit. The permit is issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and allows construction activity in wetlands.

As part of the permit, Savannah Land Holdings was supposed to protect cultural resources at the property, but the U.S. government said it failed to do.

Savannah Land Holdings developed the Waterways neighborhood, which is home to 18 archaeological sites(WTOC)

According to the federal government’s complaint against Savannah Land Holdings, they became aware of “extensive violations” of the permit in September 2023, including “improper handling, misplacement, or destruction of artifacts, human remains, and funerary objects.”

The lawsuit states there are 18 archaeological sites throughout the property. As part of the company’s permit, it was supposed to consult with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office and the Seminole Tribe of Florida when certain objects were discovered.

If human remains were found, the company was supposed to “cease excavation” and notify the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as potential descendants of the group the remains belong to.

The lawsuit accuses the company of failing to do any of that, as well as “misplacing” remains.

Additionally, the lawsuit states Savannah Land Holdings failed to properly handle discovered artifacts, and as a result, “80,000 artifacts have not been properly curated,” and “3,000 artifacts have been lost or disposed of.”

The federal government is asking that Savannah Land Holdings be instructed to stop development at the property, establish a security plan to prevent looting of remaining artifacts and pay a civil penalty as restitution for the violations.

Savannah Land Holdings declined to respond to WTOC’s request for comment.

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