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SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake City resident digging in his backyard Wednesday came across what appeared to be human bones. It was later determined the remains are that of a Native American, hundreds of years old.
The person was digging a large hole to build a pond in his backyard near 500 North and 200 West when he came across what appeared to be human bones, Salt Lake police said.
Responding officers called the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office. A representative concurred the bones appeared to be human and were thought to be very old, said Salt Lake police detective Veronica Montoya.
The medical examiner's office collected the bones and ran tests to determine their age. Those tests found that the remains belong to a Native American and date "as far back as 1,000 years," police said.
Geoffrey Fattah, spokesman for the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts, wasn't surprised at the find.
"Humans have inhabited this valley for thousands of years; in fact, over 10,000 years," Fattah said. Similar remains, he said, are found all the time.
"The first step for a property owner, if you find bones: stop digging and contact law enforcement," Fattah said.
In this case, the man was asked to put his project on hold until the test results are returned. No word yet on what will be done with the remains.
