South Pasadena Woman Digs Up "Common" Native American Skull in Backyard

(Courtesy South Pasadena Police Department via Star-News)

Turns out those bodies we so often find buried in our backyards are not necessarily those of murder victims or Jimmy Hoffa but, more likely than we'd think, centuries-old remains of the L.A. basin's pre-European invasion inhabitants.

While gardening in her backyard last month a South Pasadena woman dug up a skull with a few teeth still intact. She called authorities, certain it must have been a homicide victim, only to find out it was just another Native American skull, the Pasadena Star-News reported.

"It's not surprising because it is common, but I think most people are surprised by the amount of history," said Los Angeles County coroner's Capt. John Kades to the paper. "With Native American remains, we look for teeth.... They have a very distinctive wear that has to do with their diet, which was gritty, so the teeth are worn down."

About 10 police cars, coroner's officials and a crime-scene investigation team appeared t the woman's house in the 1600 block of Milan Avenue after she called police. But there was no evidence of a crime.

Rare? Hardly. The Native American Heritage Council is notified of about four such bodies each month. Officials were relatively certain the skull belonged to a member of the Gabrielino-Tongva tribe.

About 400 remains of Gabrielino-Tongva tribal ancestors, the original inhabitants of the Los Angeles basin, were found in 2004 as work on the $4 billion dollar Playa Vista development began, according to the Associated Press, the article reports.

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By Andy Sternberg in News on June 10, 2011 10:30 AM

Comments [rss]

Will Campbell

I can understand the excessive police presence, but seemingly no response from anthropological organizations as to the backyard's potential as a site of interest strikes me as odd. The skull may be callously viewed or dismissed as "common" by some, but chances are there may be others' remains in the vicinity (or at least the bones that were once connected to that head).

Bridget Johnson

I guess that comment should be directed at the pasadena-star...

Bridget Johnson

Readers may be curious to see the remains, but it is dehumanizing to show the photo of the skull. We don't know this person or their family and it is important to respect that. Then again, the internet isn't really known for propriety. Sigh.

Cocktail Pete

the thing that jumps out at me is that she clearly called in a skull found in the dirt - so I can see sending over a coroner unit, a csi team and maybe a cop car or two. BUT 10 cop cars?? hope it was a slow day in Pas.

Alexandra Elizabeth Haniford

Are there any Regional Native American groups protesting the disruption of these natural grave sites? Does anyone know what is happening to the remains?

Andy Sternberg

the remains will go to the California Native American Heritage Council to determine the closest ancestor to return the remains to for reburial. http://www.nahc.ca.gov/ See also: the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990.

Schizno

"just another Native American skull." Interesting phrasing. Maybe she should've just chucked it on the ol' Native American skull pile and kept digging for some more... Modern dead people.