Skull found at an Oklahoma City high school more than 100 years old

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- State officials say a skull discovered at a construction site at a northwest Oklahoma City school is more than a century old.<br/><br/>Kevin Rowland with the state medical examiner

Wednesday, November 16th 2005, 6:10 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- State officials say a skull discovered at a construction site at a northwest Oklahoma City school is more than a century old.

Kevin Rowland with the state medical examiner says investigators determined that a skull found by workers spreading sand at Heritage Hall School was that of an American Indian.

The sand was taken from the banks of the Canadian River in far southwest Oklahoma City.

Rowland said human remains have been found near that location in the past. He says it's common for Indians to bury their dead near rivers and creeks.

The skull's exact age hasn't been determined, but officials with the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey said it may be a member of the Cheyenne or Arapaho tribes.

Oklahoma state Archaeologist Bob Brooks says the two tribes would often bury their dead in sand deposits along the river's banks.

Rowland says the skull will be examined by an anthropologist, and if it's determined to be the remains of an American Indian the skull will be returned to the tribe for burial.