TAMPA - An archeologist with the University of South Florida today said bone fragments found earlier this week under a gravel lot on North U.S. 301 could be thousands of years old.
The bones were unearthed when a construction crew was digging a septic tank, the sheriff's office said. A medical examiner determined the bones were human.
Archeologist Richard Estabrook met today with Hillsborough County homicide detectives and a member of the medical examiner's office at the property of Florida Utility Trailer Inc., a semitrailer dealership at 7808 N. U.S. 301.
The bones were unearthed in near Harney Flats, known for its archeologically significant sites that have been calculated at 10,000 to 12,000 years old, Estabrook said.
Buried under the sandy soil, the bones have become mineralized, which indicated they have been there a long time, Estabrook said.
"They're likely prehistoric," he said.
No artifacts were with the bones, which could make it difficult for researchers to determine the culture and period of origin, he said.
The age and sex of the person also remain a mystery.
"There's no way to know the [gender] without measurements," Estabrook said. "And there were no pelvic remains found intact."
The bones have been collected by the medical examiner's office and will be transferred to the state for archeological study, the sheriff's office said.
News Channel 8 photographer Mike Egger and Tribune reporter Josh Poltilove contributed to this report. Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib.com.
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