Archaeologist: bones found in Delray are between 1,000 and 3,000 years old

Maria Herrera
Delray Beach — Bones unearthed during the construction of an oceanfront mansion could be up to 3,000 years old, archaeologists have determined.

The bones are believed to be those of an adult and a teenager who belonged to the Jeaga tribe, Native Americans who lived between southern Palm Beach County and the Indian River until about the 1700s, said archaeologist Bob Carr, of the Davie-based Archaeological and Historical Conservancy Inc. Carr said the bones could have been there at least 1,000 years and possibly as long as 3,000 years.

A construction crew using a bulldozer unearthed the skull and femur in December 2010 at the site along State Road A1A in Delray Beach. Work was halted, and archaeologists discovered artifacts that indicated the site may have been someone's home.

The office of the Florida State Archaelogist ordered the bones reburied at the site and allowed construction of the large oceanfront home to resume.

According to an archaeological management plan, the builder has agreed to create a memorial on the site. It will not specifically mention human remains or be accessible to the public, but will acknowledge the site's archaeological significance.

The bones are not the oldest discovered in South Florida. According to the website of the Historical Society of the Palm Beaches, archaeologists have unearthed remains and artifacts at Riverbend Park on Indiantown Road, west of Jupiter, dating back to the Paleo-Indian period (10,000 to 7,500 BC).
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