RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WTOC) – A Richmond Hill real estate developer is being sued by the federal government for allegedly destroying thousands of Native American artifacts, including human remains.
Savannah Land Holdings, which developed the Waterways neighborhood in Richmond Hill, is accused of violating what’s known as a 404 permit. The permit is issued by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and essentially allows construction activity on wetlands.
As part of the permit, Savannah Land Holdings was supposed to protect cultural resources at the property, which the US government says they failed to do.
In the United States’ complaint against Savannah Land Holdings, the government says 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 says there are 18 archaeological sites throughout the property. As part of the company’s permit, it was supposed to consult with the US 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 Corps 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 says 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 US Government is asking Savannah Land Holdings be instructed to stop development at the property, establish a security plan to prevent looting of remaining artifacts, and that they pay a civil penalty as restitution for the violations.
WTOC did reach out to Savannah Land Holdings — they declined to comment.
You can see the full lawsuit below.
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