An archaeological mystery surfaces near Winnemucca

Monday, March 24, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Workers from Hunewill Construction were leveling some earth near the old reservoir dam east of Highland Drive here when they spotted some bones protruding from the dirt, The Humboldt Sum reported.

"The more construction done around Winnemucca, the more of its past is likely to come to the surface," police Lt. Bob Davidson said.

Workers from Hunewill Construction were leveling some earth near the old reservoir dam east of Highland Drive here when they spotted some bones protruding from the dirt, The Humboldt Sum reported.

Further excavation revealed the coffins, additional bones, clothing, buttons, buckles and shoes. The remains are those of two white women and tentatively are dated back to at least the turn of the century, Davidson said.

The bones and artifacts were taken by the Nevada Division of Investigation for archaeological evaluation. Winnemucca-area historians also were consulted.

Davidson commended the construction company and the earth workers for quickly reporting Tuesday's discovery and for their cooperation with law enforcement officers and experts who descended on the site to study the remains,

"These are members of somebody's family and are somebody's children. We want to treat them with the utmost respect," he said.

While it is not all that uncommon for new construction to uncover human or animal remains, Ashley Hickey said it was the first experience Hickey Construction has had with such a find.

She said the discovery briefly halted work on the expansion of Jacobsen Estates, but the delay was not expected to slow work on the development. The remains came to light during the land contouring process that precedes road construction for the new phase.