Site workers in an Indiana quarry have unexpectedly unearthed mummified remains pegged to be over 2,000 years old. Archaeologists have already been called to check the Singleton Stone quarry in Lake County, according to Northwest Indiana Times.
"They're saying it could be 500 to 2,000 years old," said Lake County Sheriff John Buncich. "They could distinguish a head and a torso. It could be a Native American burial ground."
Law enforcement have turned over the case to archaeologists as the remains seem to pre-date 1940 and are no longer considered for criminal investigation. The area will also have to be studied further for possible artifacts, thus operations at the quarry have been temporarily suspended, while diggers continue to scour the site, according to Fox News.
The quarry was used for mining concrete aggregate needed for road construction and the site pumped 72 million gallons of water into the Singleton Ditch every day.
Workers found the remains Friday and immediately called the sheriff's and coroner's office, which in turn referred the case to Cardno Environmental Consultation Co. The company hired the archaeologists who did the initial investigation and sought permits to work on the site.
"There are many laws around Indian sites," said Officer Terri Millefoglie, via Chicago Tribune. "If it is determined this is any type of sacred ground, there are many avenues they will need to follow many, many steps after today."
But the case has now been turned over to Indiana's Department of Natural Resources, according to Northwest Indiana Times.
