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Tehran Times Bones found at a Saanich lot where a new home is being built are believed to be the 1,000 year old remains of an 18 year old aboriginal person, but police say it is also possible the bones are from several individuals. The discovery began with a false alarm when on Nov. 3, a dog nosing around at the construction site pulled out a bone from loosened earth where excavators had been working. Construction was stopped at that point and is still on hold. Saanich police took the bone to the Royal B.C. Museum where it was determined to be a rib bone of a cow that had likely died in the early 1900s. An archaeologist reviewed the site and the next day three more bones were unearthed. They were also examined. "We don't know if the bones are from one individual, or several individuals," said Sgt. Julie Fast, spokeswoman for Saanich police. The bones include part of a skull, a knee and a leg. The Provincial Archaeology Branch is working closely with police to confirm the bones' heritge and whether more bones may be at the site. Fast said that an aboriginal settlement may have been at the site at one time. Songhees First Nations will take possession of the bones. The bones were found near the Cadboro Bay shoreline, however, police are not releasing the exact location, saying that it is important the site remain secure from trespassers. "This is an usual file for us to handle," Fast said. The property had been designated an archaeological site in Oct. 2008 when an Archaeological Impact Assessment was conducted there. Under the Heritage Conservation Act, the landowner was required to obtain a permit before digging, however, it appears no permit was granted for the new-home construction. Fast said that an investigation is ongoing, and charges could be laid if the conservation act was violated.
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