200 year old skeleton indicates those of Native American
03-22-08 - North America — United States, New Mexico
Archaeologists today removed the skeleton that was found beneath the floor of a south valley home earlier this week. Early indications are that the bones are hundreds of years old and Native American.
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The experts from the Museum of Archaeology in Cedar Crest were asked by the state to examine the remains and the property where they were discovered, when they uncovered numerous artifacts.
Archaeologist, Deborah Sweat said the wheel barrel looks to contain the whole body.
The ancient remains that are being examined were found Tuesday at the south valley by the brother of homeowner of Epimenio Jaramillo while digging a hole under a closet, saw the bones out of the corner of his eye, \"I took a second look, got up, put the shovel down looked at it and said this don\'t look right.\" So he then called the Bernalillo County Sheriff\'s Department.
Deputies wanted to make sure the bones didn\'t belong to an animal, so they asked Perches to keep shoveling.
Archaeologists believe Jaramillo\'s property may be the site of an ancient burial ground.
Broken pottery was everywhere and Archaeologist Bradley Bowman says the pottery that dates back some 800 years, suggest that the property is probably an ancestral pueblo site. Bowman also said that when a site like this is discovered, the hope is to preserve it, \"it\'s an issue of human dignity and if we can leave them where they are that\'s what we do.\"
Before Perches found the bones, he claims strange things kept happening during the remodeling project, including an incident with his brother and a nail gun, shooting himself in the foot and entire wall falling out. He also believes the skeleton\'s spirit had been unhappy, and wanted the bones uncovered saying ever since they were found things have been much more peaceful.
Homeowner Epimenio Jaramillo said, \"it disturbed my sleep before, now that we found it it\'s better for me.\" Jaramillo says he is so creeped out by the discovery of the remains, and the strange events leading up to it, that he plans on selling the house right after the remodeling is done.
The archaeologists will try to determine the skeleton\'s ancestry, and then ask descendants what they would like to do with the remains. They do not plan to dig for more. "
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