The bones found by workers excavating under a Nambucca Heads house yesterday have been confirmed by police as human.
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“Human bones were located under a premises along Riverside Drive,” Acting Inspector Chris Hardwick said.
“This morning an examination was being conducted by an archaeologist for the Office of Environment and Heritage.
“That investigation is still ongoing.”
Acting Inspector Hardwick said that despite hours of on-the-spot scrutiny, the archaeologist was unable to ascertain the age of the bones.
The archaeologist could be seen this morning on the front veranda dusting, measuring and photographing an assortment of bones.
Lined up on the veranda ledge were a couple of larger discoloured bones with lengths of around 30cm, and a number of smaller ones.
A fragment of a jawbone with teeth still in place was clearly visible among the remains discovered.
The bones are currently being driven to the Department of Forensic Medicine in Glebe, Sydney, by a local police officer.
“At this time it’s planned that the forensic examination of the bones will take place tomorrow,” Acting Inspector Hardwick said.
General duty officers from Nambucca Heads and Macksville were present from 1.25pm on Tuesday and remained at the site throughout the night to preserve the scene and will remain there pursuant to an order under the coroner’s act, until the report comes back from Sydney.
The property was sold on July 24, and excavation works have been going on for the past week to remove the house on the site.
Large amounts of shells are clearly visible underneath the house and in the piles of dirt that have been excavated.
There is a strong possibility that more bones will be found under the house in future.