Skeleton, coffin found in Chesapeake Bay as fossil hunter finds more bones

The unidentified bones are “black due to all the water damage,” according to the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kristen Leitch. Courtesy of Calvert County Sheriff’s Office

A Calvert County fossil hunter found a coffin and human skeleton in the Chesapeake Bay, prompting questions about how old the body is and where it could have originated.

NBC reported Friday that George Oliver happened across the coffin while looking for shark teeth Nov. 4. After finding the nearly intact skeleton during low tide, Oliver told NBC he called the Sheriff’s Department, who notified the local archaeological society.

Oliver has previously found human bones while fossil hunting, the report said.

Thus far experts have said the skeleton could be close to 100 years old. Crime scene technician Kelsey Ward told the station finding human remains of that possible age isn’t uncommon, but finding such an intact specimen was.

Though the skeleton’s characteristics like age, race or gender were indeterminate, Ward said in the report that a defect in the skull could suggest a blunt force trauma injury or possible gunshot wound.

The bones and coffin will be laid to rest at a local church, according to NBC, though Oliver said he would prefer the coffin to be on display.

The coffin and remains’ provenance aren’t likely to be determined, NBC said.