What happens if you find human remains?

If the remains are determined to be forensic the county coroner will retain jurisdiction over the remains. If the county coroner determines the remains are non-forensic, then the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation will take jurisdiction over those remains found on non-Federal and Non-Tribal land.

How do you know if you found a human bone?

There are generally three levels of identification that can be utilized to distinguish between human and non-human animal bones: 1) gross skeletal anatomy, 2) bone macrostructure, and 3) bone microstructure (histology).

What to do if you find bones on a construction site?

When Human Bones are Discovered

1. Halt construction tasks immediately: It’s critical that all work is halted at this point.
2. Contact the Property Owner: They must be made abreast of the situation.
3. Law Enforcement will assess the human remains: Human remains may be an archaeological find or a more recent death.

Why is the location of human remains in a grave important?

4 The location of human remains within the grave is also important to note, especially in the context of co-mingled remains in prehistoric tombs, where remains may have been removed and relocated for ritual purposes. It may also shed light on post-depositional natural site formation processes.

Is full recovery of articulated human remains expected on archaeological sites?

Full recovery of articulated human remains is expected on archaeological sites as far as possible; it is usually considered that any remains lying outside of the limits of excavation should not be chased into the baulk unless there is a good reason for doing so.

What do researchers need to know about excavating human remains?

Beyond that, researchers need a plan and personnel. They need enough time and resources to excavate, examine and either rebury the remains, or preserve them in perpetuity — the legal term for forever. Lastly, it’s irresponsible for any one project to dig an entire site or all its burials.

Why can’t we dig up human remains from museums?

Although repatriating indigenous remains is a main objective of the NAGPRA law, many bones in museums are still unaffiliated, meaning they have not been linked with a contemporary group for return. Digging up human remains can run against the cultural and religious beliefs of certain groups.