Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory personnel discovered human remains on lab property Monday.

The facilities personnel had been working on Berkeley Lab’s southern perimeter to clear a drainage ditch when they found a human skull and one bone inside the ditch, according to a Berkeley Lab press release.

Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau officials concluded their search of the area Tuesday and found a second set of bones nearby, which are likely animal remains, according to coroner’s bureau Sgt. J.D. Nelson.

According to Nelson, bureau officials believe the bones have been on Berkeley Lab property for a while, and foul play has not been ruled out as a cause of death.

Human remains, believed to be those of an Ohlone Indian, were discovered earlier this month at a Fourth Street construction site near the perimeter of the West Berkeley Shellmound. Nelson said, however, that the remains discovered on lab property Monday are not Native American, as evidenced by the dental work in the skull and its bone structure.



Coroner’s bureau officials are still working to identify the human remains, Nelson said, as well as how long the bones have been onsite.

Check back for updates.

Andrea Platten is an assistant news editor. Contact her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @andreaplatten.

Correction(s):

The photo attached to a previous version of this article incorrectly depicted a picture of the Lawrence Hall of Science. In fact, the human remains were discovered on Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory property.