Suspected Human Remains from ‘Pre-Modern Era’ Found at Michigan Construction Site

The bones "could be from a time period well before contemporary forensic methods were available," said the Traverse City Police Department

Suspected human remains from a "pre-modern era" were unearthed at a construction site in Michigan.

The remains were discovered by construction workers at Grandview Parkway and Oak Street in Traverse City on Friday, July 26, said the Traverse City Police Department in a press release.

After coming across the bones, the department said the workers "immediately halted operations and notified authorities."

Once the site was secured to preserve potential evidence, law enforcement officials conducted an initial investigation that determined "the bones may be human." Pieces of pre-modern nails and wood were also found at the work site that could be signs of a coffin, per WPBN.

WWJ-TV reported that the construction site was part of the Michigan Department of Transportation's US-31 rebuilding project.

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According to the state of Michigan's official website, the project is to create "operational enhancements" that include drainage improvements and new pavement markings to provide "increased safety" and "increased convenience for road users."

Shaun Miller, an archaeologist at the Michigan Department of Transportation, told WPBN that "the remains were under US-31, about four feet below the road," and called the discovery the "most fascinating thing that's happened."

The Traverse City Police Department worked with forensic experts, including forensic anthropologists at Western Michigan University and the Michigan State Police, to further examine the bones.

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Four days after the discovery, the Traverse City Police Department said in an update that "the bones appear to be from a pre-modern era, suggesting they could be from a time period well before contemporary forensic methods were available."

Construction is expected to continue at the site following a "temporary halt," police said.

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While the bones continue to be investigated, Miller told WPBN that he hopes they are "placed in Oakwood Cemetery where we have some historical documentation, where other remains from this location had been relocated to in the late 1800s. So if we could keep the whole group together in one place, that would be the best outcome, in my opinion."

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