Human Bones Found At Construction Site May Be 1,000 Years Old

AURORA, CO – Human bones found during a construction excavation in southeast Aurora were identified Thursday as being "most likely over one hundred, if not one thousand, years old," the Aurora police department said.

The bones were found Feb. 13 around 10 a.m., while crews were excavating for Richmond American Homes in the area of East Smoky Hill Parkway and South Powhaton Road. The Aurora Police Major Homicide Unit and Arapahoe County Coroner's staff determined Thursday that the human remains were not the result of a recent crime.

Related: Construction Crew Finds Human Bones On Aurora Site: Police

The bones were identified as belonging to a male, of undetermined age, who was of Native American descent, police said. Police and the State Archaeologist , along with Necrosearch, an international human remains recovery agency, to date the remains.

Police said construction workers from Richmond American were to be commended for promptly reporting the discovery and "treating the area of where the bones were located respectfully."

The bones were turned over to the Colorado State Archaeologist, and the site will be further investigated by that agency, Aurora Police said.

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