Posted: February 7, 2006 2:10 pm
This is creepy:ToplessRideFL wrote:A friend of mine moved into an old house.... (new to her) and she found someones ashes in the attic... in a box... straight away from the crematory...... talk about creepy!
A skeletal glimpse of the past
Not a turtle: Sgt. Tommie Thomas gets a closer look at skeletal
remains being housed at the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department.
An archaeologist with the state estimated that the bones,
found in Chadwick Acres in Sneads Ferry, were buried
between the year 600 and 1400.
ROSELEE PAPANDREA
DAILY NEWS STAFF
SNEADS FERRY, NC — When Robbie Lynn unearthed a skull Monday while digging behind a house under construction in the Chadwick Shores development in Sneads Ferry, he initially thought it was a turtle shell.
But when he wiped away the packed dirt and noticed eye sockets, he knew his first instincts were incorrect.
“I can tell the difference between a turtle shell and a human head. I can now anyway,” said Lynn who works for BLS, Inc., the development company building the 4,600-square-foot home at 960 Chadwick Shores Drive.
Lynn was concerned because the bones were in fairly good condition. He worried he stumbled upon the grave of someone whose death wasn’t reported. He had no idea that Chadwick Shores was inhabited by American Indians more than 1,000 years ago and several burial sites were already discovered in the area.
Lynn contacted the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department. Capt. Rick Sutherland went out and spent about four hours excavating the site using a putty knife and dirt-sifting equipment. He found the remains of two people, he said.
“We also ran a metal detector through the whole area to see if we could locate bullets or knives, but there wasn’t any metal,” Sutherland said.
Sutherland brought the remains to Dr. John Almeida, an Onslow County medical examiner, who was able to determine that the bones were at least 50 years old. Sutherland contacted the N.C. Office of State Archaeology, and two archaeologists examined the remains and the site Wednesday.
While the exact age of the bones was impossible to determine on-site, Lawrence Abbott, an archaeologist with the state, estimated that the bodies were buried between the year 600 and 1400.
“This part of the state was heavily occupied by Native Americans during that time,” Abbott said. “There were numerous burial sites found already in this area. It’s not uncommon to find burials here.”
The sandy soil helped preserve the bones, he said.
“You are more likely to find burial grounds in the Coastal Plains than in the Piedmont,” Abbott said. “The sandy soil preserves the bones better. The acid in clay soil erodes bones more quickly.”
The site, which is about 10 feet behind the home, overlooks Chadwick Bay — a waterway still rich with shrimp, scallops, oysters and clams.
Abbott and archaeologist John Mintz spent all day Wednesday sifting through the dirt there, attempting to determine if more graves were around. If the area is deemed an Indian burial site, which is protected by the state’s General Statutes, the land owner will be contacted, Abbott said.
“There would need to be a discussion with the landowner to see what we can do to protect the graves,” Abbott said.
Other antiquities, including pieces of pottery and some kind of ancient pendant made from animal bones, were also found among the remains and lead the archaeologists to believe that the people buried in the location were definitely Indians, Abbott said.
The remains will be studied by specialists who hope to learn more about the people who once inhabited the coast. Once a complete examination is done, the bones will be preserved, Abbott said.
“The state archaeologist will ensure that they are curated and will be at the state’s facility,” Abbott said.
The discovery excited Patty Whaley who has lived in Chadwick Shores for seven years.
“I can see why they settled here,” Whaley said. “It’s beautiful here.”
Whaley lives across the street from where the remains were discovered.
“If I was that homeowner, I’d be excited,” she said. “It’s just part of our history. It’s not anything gross or scary. It’s just life.”
