A stunning discovery was made along an Indiana riverbank after a more than 4,000-year-old skull was found.
Along the bank of the Whitewater River, a portion of a 4,270-year-old skull was discovered, according to the Fayette County Coroner’s Office.
The fragment, discovered on June 2, was found to date back to around 2300 B.C through preliminary analysis, including radiocarbon dating.
It was discovered by a landowner, described as an ‘avid collector of Native American artifacts,’ and reported the artifact to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, USA Today reported.
‘This discovery underscores the importance of our community’s vigilance and the necessity of professional collaboration,’ County Coroner Eddie Richardson said in a release.
‘I want to commend the landowner for their responsible action in immediately reporting the finding,’ he added.
Richardson further thanked Dr. Krista Latham with the University of Indianapolis Human Identification Center and ‘the rigorous testing’ by the University of Georgia for their being ‘able to accurately determine the antiquity of this discovery.’
Latham determined the skull was that of an adult, according to the outlet.
Along the bank of the Whitewater River in Indiana, a portion of a 4,270-year-old skull was discovered by a landowner
The skull, discovered on June 2, was found to date back to around 2300 B.C through preliminary analysis and was that of an adult
The Coroner’s Office thanked Dr. Krista Latham with the University of Indianapolis Human Identification Center and ‘the rigorous testing’ by the University of Georgia for their being ‘able to accurately determine the antiquity of this discovery’
The release noted the ‘remarkable discovery’ and described it as a ‘powerful and humbling reminder that people have walked this land.’
‘Our home in Fayette County, for millennia. It calls upon all of us to handle this matter with the utmost respect and diligence,’ the release added.
Considering the antiquity of the skull, the Coroner’s Office said they would be working closely with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and are ‘awaiting guidance from the Indiana DNR regarding the next steps for repatriation and site management.’
The release furthered that their office and resources involved would be working to ensure ‘that this ancestral discovery is handled according to cultural and legal standards.’
Holly Lawson, a spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, told the outlet that the agency is working with the Coroner’s Office to ‘ensure compliance with the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act.’
