RCMP in Alberta have an unusual question for people in Hinton.

Does anyone remember a party in the late 60s or early 70s where a human skull was shown or passed around?

The question comes after the Groeneveldt family turned in a skull found while cleaning out their mother's garage. The skull was inside a plastic ice cream pail that was tucked under some other items inside the garage.

Andrew Groeneveldt heard that his father Leo, who died years ago, allegedly obtained the skull from a police officer at a party who had found it when a basement was being excavated for a house.

"My father was a volunteer fireman when I was very young and apparently in those days the firemen and the police liked to have barbecues together and socialize and sometimes they got a little bit silly as some people may do," he said.

"Apparently my father won this skull in a card game."

The family gave the skull to RCMP in February 2013. Police are going public with the discovery now because their investigation has not been able to determine who the skull belonged to.

"We’ve done testing at the RCMP lab for DNA and we have been unsuccessful in matching that to anyone and therefore, we have no idea of as to who the skull belongs to," Const. Melanie Riopel said.

Riopel says the Edmonton medical examiner has determined that the skull is historic in nature. She said RCMP have been in touch with an expert who can generate facial reconstructions from human skulls.

Hinton RCMP are asking people to call them or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers if they have any information that can help them.