Human remains from a known Nez Perce burial site have been uncovered during construction of the Ten Mile Bridge project south of Asotin.
Asotin County sheriff's Detective Jackie Nichols said bone fragments including pieces of skull, rib bones and foot bones have been found at the site on four separate occasions since the end of September. Artifacts, including arrowheads and what are thought to be stone tools, were also found.
The majority of the remains were discovered as crews dug up the original roadbed, which was built in the 1950s, she said. Only isolated bones were found, not intact graves, which suggests the remains were first disturbed when the road was constructed, Nichols added.
"It's in an area where there was a known burial ground nearby," she said. "It could have been disturbed when the road was first built."
Patrick Baird, tribal historic preservation officer and archaeologist for the Nez Perce Tribe Cultural Resource Program, who was hired by the county as an on-site observer, said the project site is in the vicinity of a well-known Nez Perce cemetery. He's not certain how many bone fragments have been found during the bridge's construction or exactly how old they are. Most of the remains are likely from the precontact period, Baird said, which is prior to 1805.
"I don't know if anyone knows how old they are," he said. "They've been there for a very long time."
Asotin County Commissioner Doug Mattoon said the county was aware the area was culturally significant prior to starting construction. The burial site's existence is outlined in a cultural resources report, which is a required part of the project. The design of the bridge was altered to avoid obvious areas based on recommendations from an archaeologist, he added.
"What we couldn't anticipate was previous disturbance from historical activities," he said, speaking of the road's construction.
An initial archaeological investigation identified the vicinity of the project as culturally significant, Public Works Director Joel Ristau said, and studies prior to construction attempted to avoid culturally significant areas. The county must follow state guidelines in the event human remains are inadvertently encountered, Ristau explained.
"We're following the procedures in that plan," he said.
The first step is to determine if the bones are human or animal, according to Nichols. If they're human, the county sheriff's office is called in to determine whether they're forensic or archaeological. If the remains are archaeological - as everything found onsite has been so far - they're transferred to the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. The department then contacts tribal leaders to decide upon a course of action. This is the stage the process is currently in, Ristau said.
"The DAHP and tribes are under consultation on the matter," he said. "We're awaiting the results."
In the meantime, construction has been halted in locations where remains were found, Ristau said, and the county is proceeding with other aspects of the bridge.
"Right now, there's no indication that the entire project would be stopped," he said. "I don't expect that to happen."
The Nez Perce Tribe has been closely involved in the process, he said, adding he hasn't heard any indication tribal leaders are upset by the findings.
"The issues are of tribal concern," Ristau said. "We want to honor and respect that."
Ristau does not have a revised completion date for the bridge yet, which was scheduled to be finished by next year.
Author: Kevin Gaboury | Source: The Lewiston Tribune [October 15, 2010]