ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — A skull fragment found near Lake Pontchartrain in 1985 has been found to be approximately 3,500 years old. The St. Tammany Parish Coroner announced the findings Thursday, calling the results "astonishing."
Dr. Charles Preston said the fragment was originally determined to be from a woman between the ages of 25-35 years old at the time of her death. But science at the time was limited and DNA analysis was unable to build a full profile.
In 2009, the coroner's office tested the bone again, but the sample's DNA had degraded. The source was confirmed to be a woman, "but the mystery continued," Preston said.
In 2022, Preston had the fragment Carbon-14 tested by Beta Analytics in Florida. The results revealed that the remains dated between 1634-1504 BC, approximately 3,500 years to Louisiana's Late Archaic Period and suggests the woman was of the Poverty Point Culture.
"The bone is therefore designated as prehistoric remains of an indigenous person," Preston's office said Thursday.
Because the remains were determined to be over 50 years old and have no contemporary forensic context, the fragment was turned over to the Secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism’s Division of Archaeology. The specimen will remain curated at the LSU FACES lab under the protection of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Preston said his office met with local Native American and other community leaders at the Bayou Lacombe Museum two weeks ago to reveal the findings. The coroner has also contacted the Louisiana Intertribal Council and leaders of both the Jena Band of the Choctaw Nation and the United Houma Nation.
“I often say that no Coroner’s case is ever closed”, Preston said. “It took a while as science progressed, but we have been able to identify the historical origin of this woman to the extent possible, and have taken steps to properly honor her life. I’m grateful for the work of our DNA Lab and Investigations staff, the Beta Analytics lab, Native American Community leaders, state authorities. I reiterate that we will never give up on any case. We hope to participate in the repatriation ceremony which may be held in the future.”
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