Tuesday, August 12, 2003

Remains of Native Americans unearthed at construction site

By JENNIFER FUNK
Staff writer
Photo
News Herald/JENNIFER FUNK

Dr. Gilbert Bucholz pulls bones from a cardboard box Thursday morning at what is believed to be a mass Native American burial site at a Danbury Township development.




(NOTE: the "cardboard box" is a Jack Daniels whiskey bottle box)

DANBURY TOWNSHIP -- In an incredible discovery, a local construction crew has unearthed human remains of what are believed to be centuries-old Native Americans at a new housing development.

The discovery of dozens of bones and bone fragments was made earlier this week at the site on Danbury North Road, said U.S. Construction Co. President Gregory Spatz via telephone from his Florida office. His brother, Gary, is in charge of the construction site.

The area has been marked with red flags while a crew from Ken Gill Construction continues to bulldoze land on other portions of the 31-acre site, eventually destined to be an 81-lot waterfront community called "Cove on the Bay."

Gregory Spatz said after thousands of dollars in site surveys he suspected there would be artifacts or remains found.

"We know there is a possibility there is something there," he said. "According to the people I talked to, there's something wherever you dig down in Ohio."

Ottawa County Prosecutor Mark Mulligan reviewed state laws pertaining to ancient burial grounds and said as of right now he is satisfied with the way the site is being handled.

Danbury Township Police Chief Mike Meisler checked out the site Thursday morning, as did Ottawa County Coroner Dr. Gilbert Bucholz. Bucholz took a couple of the bones to send for forensic testing to ensure the site is ancient.

Spatz said once it was determined the site may be a burial ground for Native Americans, his team called local historian and self-proclaimed amateur archaeologist Gary Johannsen.

Johannsen, along with several other members of the Sandusky Bay Chapter of the Ohio Archaeological Society converged on the site, thrilled with the opportunity to dig up the

. They will document their findings and prepare bones and artifacts to be sent to Ohio State University and University of Toledo for carbon dating.

It appeared from the type of artifacts found in the top layer of soil that the remains could date back 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, said an excited Johannsen.

"It's an important site," he said. "They all are, but this one looks like a pretty large site."

Native American representatives in the area have said in the past they would like to see any unearthed remains cataloged, studied, then reburied on the same site, said Johannsen, 58, who has been studying burial sites in Ohio for decades.

And Spatz said that's exactly what he'd like to do -- once the bones come back from being carbon-dated and analyzed, he will have the reburied on a preserved part of the development, where they can't be dug up again.

Those who buy lots in the development, too, will be notified of the burial ground in case they have religious objections, said Gary Spatz.

"They've been more than generous," said Johannsen of the Spatz brothers, adding that he's heard of some sites knowingly destroyed by construction . "They don't want to do anything against any people of any kind.

"They're not obligated to do that."

Both Gregory Spatz and Johannsen said it was their understanding that a project is required to be halted if federal permits or federal funding was involved. It's not in this case, but construction crews are working on the land toward Ohio 269 while Johannsen and his fellow archaeologists dig closer toward Sandusky Bay.

The housing development of affordable waterfront properties has been in the works since the Spatz brothers purchased more than 27 acres of land from Roy and Matilda Bauman. The Bauman family has owned the property since 1860, Roy said while watching the excavation effort.

"With all the farming that was done here, you'd think it would mess it up," Roy said, adding the fields were a mix of fruit trees and other agricultural ventures. "All that working over, you're lucky to find anything."

The first phase of the development -- 37 lots -- is expected to be completed in November, depending on how many times the crew must stop for archaeological endeavors.

"If they hit anything else, it'll stop and delay us," Gregory Spatz said. "But we're going to do it the right way."

Among the bones found were fingers, shown in the lower left-hand corner, as well as leg, arm and skull fragments.

http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/news/stories/20030808/localnews/27317.html

Originally published Friday, August 8, 2003

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