KCAW/Raven Radio in Sitka, Alaska, may not have a skeleton in its closet, but it has one in its basement.
Contractors working beneath the studio in October uncovered human remains that may predate the 103-year-old building. KCAW General Manager Ken Fate told Current on Nov. 28 that the station is “working closely with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska” to determine whether the body is that of a tribal ancestor.
The station reported on its website that when the bones were discovered between two slabs of bedrock, work immediately stopped. An archeologist was unable to determine the precise age, sex or ethnicity of the remains; the police said that because the bones were old, the site wasn’t considered a crime scene. The location was not a village site or cemetery for the Sitkas, but elders nevertheless conducted a blessing over the bones.
The contractors have cordoned off the area containing the remains and the work continues.