PORT TOWNSEND — A human skull has been unearthed by an excavation company, and a state expert is expected to travel to Jefferson County this week to examine additional remains, according to the Jefferson County undersheriff.
Undersheriff Andy Pernsteiner said Friday that a homeowner in the 3200 block of state Highway 20 near Discovery Bay hired the excavation company, which was digging on the property Wednesday when the crew found the skull.
The homeowner called the sheriff’s office, and a sergeant investigated, Pernsteiner said.
“They determined it was quite old, and they were probably Native American bones,” he said. “You could kind of tell by the teeth by the way they were ground down and didn’t have any dental work.”
The sheriff’s office contacted the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, and the sergeant sent photos, Pernsteiner said.
“They also [concurred] it looked like it was quite old,” he said.
The archaeology office requested the skull and additional bones be collected and stored at the sheriff’s office in Port Hadlock, where Guy Tasa, the state physical anthropologist, will schedule a visit this week, Pernsteiner said.
The bones have been classified as non-forensic human remains, he said.
“Once [Tasa] is able to look at it, he’ll have a better idea,” Pernsteiner said.
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Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 6, or at bmclean@ peninsuladailynews.com.
