Tourists in South Carolina got quite the shock when they found centuries-old human bones during their beach vacation.
In a press release, the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) revealed that, on May 23, they responded to a report of discovered human skeletal remains on Edisto Island.
Once they arrived to a beachfront property at the Jeremy Cay Community, the CCSO learned that “tourists exploring the area uncovered what they initially believed to be fossils.”
However, upon further inspection, the tourists came to believe that the “remains appeared to be human.” Once that realization set in, the tourists contacted the CCSO.
The CCSO responded, secured the scene, and began a preliminary investigation.
What the Bones Indicate
Amid their research, the CCSO learned that the site was once home to the 19th-century settlement.
The Edisto Island website referred to the area as “The Lost Village of Edingsville Beach.” It further noted that, during the first half of the 19th century, Edingsville Beach was a popular destination for elite vacationers.
However, by the Civil War, the area was uninhabited due to erosion. It was completely abandoned in 1893.
The CCSO came to believe that the found “remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site.”
Colleton County Coroner Rich Harvey told Newsweek that the remains include a skull and a bunch of separated bones.
“This is rare,” he explained told the outlet, adding that the remains “could be from Revolutionary War [or] Civil War.”
The bones were thus transported to the Medical University of South Carolina for forensic analysis and identification.
Currently, however, “the identity of the individual and the circumstances surrounding their death remain unknown.”
The CCSO classified the case as “an active investigation.” They further assured the community that they are “working closely with the Coroner’s Office and other partner agencies to determine more about the remains and their origin.”
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