Human remains found during a beach cleanup in Kyuquot are archeological, the B.C. Coroners Service says.
A Kyuquot First Nations member found a skull and other remains about 30 metres inland from the high tide line, according to the Ministry of Forests. They were reported to Port McNeill RCMP and the coroner on July 21.
Identification experts in the coroner’s office have determined that the remains are “archeological in nature,” said Ryan Panton, communications manager for the B.C. Coroners Service.
“We don’t do a coroner’s investigation in those circumstances,” he said.
The description of the scene is consistent with “ancient Indigenous coastal burial practices,” Panton said, and a tooth found had wear consistent with pre-contact Indigenous remains.
“There was no evidence located, such as clothing or artefacts, that would suggest the remains were modern,” he said.
The remains have been left undisturbed and have been recorded with the province as an archeological site, said the ministry.
The RCMP and the First Nation will continue to monitor the site.
