To the map room, Indy!

archaeologicalnews:

At first, it appeared to be a discovery with sinister implications: Two skulls unearthed by a swimming pool contractor in a Winter Garden neighborhood.

Now, the human remains are the focus of an archaeological mystery.

The skulls, about a dozen pottery shards and textiles were discovered in the sand in January— a finding that left a team of anthropologists and archaeologists scrambling to figure out how the items came to rest there.

Experts have learned a lot about the artifacts since they were found, but a key question remains: How did they get there?

“This is definitely a secondary burial site,” said Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia.

Pieces of shredded English-language newspaper, dated March 16, 1978, were found alongside the artifacts and added to the mystery.

“We know that they were not placed in that location until after that date,” said Dr. John Schultz, a University of Central Florida anthropology professor who assisted Garavaglia with the remains.

Garavaglia and Schultz examined the skulls a day after they were discovered and knew almost immediately they were not dealing with forensic remains, but something much older. Read more.