Bones unearthed in Rochester during Main Street construction may be from prehistoric burial
MDOT, police, medical examiner working to discover origins of bones discovered during Rochester road work
Archeologist, James Robertson believes bones discovered by work crews on Main Street in Rochester are human remains from a prehistoric burial.
C & G News reported the Michigan Department of Transportation archaeological consultant is working with local police and the medical examiner after MDOT workers un-earthed the bones in July.
MDOT crews found the bones while working in the area of Third and Main.
Rochester City Manager Jaymes Vettraino confirmed bones have been found, according to C & G News.
"This project has been five years in the planning when this corner was identified as a potential place of interest," said Vettraino. "In an 1899 newspaper article, it was noted that there could possibly have been human remains when reconstruction happened at the Home Bakery."
Employees of the Home Bakery say remains were uncovered right outside their main entrance.
"They had us lock the front door," said Toni Torres, an employee of the bakery. "They wouldn't tell us what it was. The cops were out here for quite a long time."
Work stopped after the discovery to allow Robertson to examine the site and remove the bones for further testing.
"Throughout the entire worksite, we've asked the contractors and workers to be especially careful," said Vettraino. "We were interested in anything we could find about our history. It's not often you get to go eight feet below your main street."
In a statement Robertson said, Michigan American Indian tribes are being consulted about the bones to ensure they are handled properly.