‘Prehistoric remains’ of man found in Iowa River, Marshall Co. Sheriff’s Office confirms
A human jawbone found in a Iowa river spurred an investigation. Experts say the bone is thousands of years old, and of historical importance. Marshall County Sheriff's Office.
(FOX 9) - The Marshall County Sheriff's Office announced it’s investigating human remains found in the Iowa River that might possibly have ‘prehistoric’ origin.
In early August Marshall County Conservation directed Deputies to a remote area in the river where a possible human lower jawbone was discovered by staff while conducting a biological and wildlife survey.
According to an announcement the sheriff’s office, the jawbone was intact, but its condition was deteriorated and indicated that the jawbone was several years old. A search of the area was conducted and three additional potential human bones were located.
The Marshall County Medical Examiner collected the suspected human remains, they were sent to the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office for further testing.
The bones were then transferred to the Office of the State Archaeologist at University of Iowa for further examination, where it was determined likely to belong to a prehistoric Native American of middle to older age male.
Additional historical research is expected in the future.