Diggers Find Human Jaw in Newport : Discovery: Authorities believe ancient remains, unearthed at bay-area construction site, may belong to Native American.
NEWPORT BEACH — Human remains that may be those of a Native American were found at a construction site Tuesday, according to police.
Anthropologists from the state’s Native American Heritage Commission are expected today to examine a mandible, or lower jaw, with seven teeth, which was discovered by construction workers as they ripped up concrete near a 1930s building on Newport Bay, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Fred Heinecke said.
County coroner’s officials believe the remains may belong to a Native American because of the apparent age of the remains, Heinecke said.
David Belardes, chief of the Juaneno Mission tribe, said the remains probably would be from his tribe, which has lived in most of coastal Orange County.
“The remains of our ancestors are very sacred to us, and it is our job to put them back with Mother Earth,†said Belardes, who is also chairman of the San Juan Capistrano Indian Council. He said the council has reburied the remains of eight tribe members this year.
Typically, remains are uncovered by the weather or by construction crews. “Unfortunately, we don’t own the land anymore, so it’s difficult to put them back from where they came,†he said.
Meanwhile, construction will be halted for at least three days at the parking lot of Aqua-ponics Brew & Grow on West Coast Highway, where the remains were found. A construction crew had been tearing out concrete to expand the business’ parking facilities. Owners called the police at 10:30 a.m., shortly after the bones were discovered.
“We really thought someone might have been murdered in the ‘40s or ‘50s and buried right there,†said Kurt Ascherman, who co-owns the store with his father, Ron. “It was like something out of a movie when they’d pour cement over someone.â€
Walter Jorgensen, owner of the property since the late 1930s, said because landfill was used in the property, the remains could have come from somewhere else, such as a nearby bluff.
“We have not made a huge discovery,†he said. “That whole beach area has a lot of Native American artifacts. It’s a piece of bone that turned up from God knows where.â€
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
