Latest news with #RichardHarvey
USA Today
6 days ago
- USA Today
South Carolina tourists find remains that may be linked to 'forgotten' burial site
South Carolina tourists find remains that may be linked to 'forgotten' burial site Show Caption Hide Caption Danish archaeologists uncover 50 Viking-era skeletons The excavation of a large Viking-era burial site in Denmark has unearthed 50 well-preserved skeletons, along with grave gifts. Tourists exploring an island off the South Carolina coast accidentally uncovered human skeletal remains that authorities believe may be linked to a forgotten, centuries-old burial site. The tourists were in Jeremy Cay — a private, beachfront community located on Edisto Island about 45 miles southwest of Charleston — on May 23 when they discovered what they initially believed to be fossils, according to the Colleton County Sheriff's Office. But after realizing the remains appeared to be human, the tourists immediately contacted the sheriff's office and the Edisto Beach Police Department, the sheriff's office said. Authorities then responded to the scene and secured the area. The Colleton County Coroner's Office also assisted in the investigation and recovery of the remains, which were later transported to the Medical University of South Carolina for forensic analysis and identification, according to the sheriff's office. "The location of the discovery is historically significant, once home to the 19th-century settlement known as Edingsville Beach," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site." The sheriff's office noted that the identity of the remains and the circumstances surrounding their death are currently unknown. The investigation remains ongoing, and the sheriff's office said it's working with the county coroner's office and other partner agencies to learn more about the remains and their origin. Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey told Newsweek on May 25 that the remains consisted of a skull and separated bones. Harvey noted that the discovery was "rare" and that the remains could be from the Revolutionary War or Civil War, according to Newsweek. A family went missing in Alaska in 2024. A boat and human remains were just found. What is Edingsville Beach? The Jeremy Cay community is near the site of Edingsville Beach, a former vacation destination that was popular among wealthy Southern families in the early 19th century, according to an article on the town of Edisto Island's website. "It was initially established for wealthy Charleston families as a seasonal refuge to escape the humidity and heat in the Lowcountry," the article states. "For a few decades, Edingsville Beach was the place for the elite to be seen." In 1825, the community was made up of 60 tabby and brick houses with verandas facing the ocean, according to the article. Edingsville Beach also had several churches, service buildings, boathouses, fishing shacks, a billiard saloon, and a schoolhouse. The settlement began to disappear over the decades due to coastal erosion and the effects of the Civil War, the article adds. "Visitors started to notice the shifting sands and ever-lapping tides took a toll on the beach," according to the article. "In addition, the Atlantic surf had managed to scoop up about 20 of the homes before the Civil War began." Patricia Wu-Murad case: A Connecticut woman went missing 2 years ago on hike in Japan. Her remains have been found The community was uninhabited during the Civil War and mostly abandoned after the war ended in 1865, the article states. Edisto Island was hit by a hurricane in 1885, which leveled most of the remaining structures in the settlement. By 1893, another hurricane destroyed the last of the structures in Edingsville Beach, according to the article. Now, only a narrow strip of beach serves as a reminder of the historic community. Bones and remains have previously been found on the island, the article states. In 2015, a tourist from Pennsylvania visiting the north end of Edisto Island found several bones. Shortly after, a former Edisto Beach State Park ranger discovered a skull with some teeth attached. Paleontologists later determined that both sets of remains dated back to 1865 and 1870, according to the article. One of the sets was identified as a cow skeleton.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tourists Thought They Found Fossils on Island, but Investigators Say They Might Be Centuries-Old Human Remains
The Colleton County Sheriff's Office said tourists visiting Edisto Island in South Carolina found what they initially thought were fossils — only to later realize they were human remains The location of the remains is historically noteworthy, authorities said, as it was once a 19th-century settlement known as Edingsville Beach Authorities are working to determine the identity of the remains and the cause of death Authorities said that tourists visiting a South Carolina island came across centuries-old human skeletal remains. The Colleton County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that it responded to a report about the remains found on Edisto Island on Friday, May 23. The sheriff's office said deputies were sent to the Jeremy Cay community near Legare Road, a beachfront property, after the tourists discovered what they initially thought were fossils while exploring the area. 'Upon closer examination, they realized the remains appeared to be human and promptly contacted the Colleton County Sheriff's Office and the Edisto Police Department,' the department said. Authorities closed off the area and conducted a preliminary investigation, according to the sheriff's office. The location of the remains is historically noteworthy, authorities noted, as it was once a 19th-century settlement known as Edingsville Beach. 'Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site,' said the sheriff's office. The remains were recovered with the assistance of the Colleton County Coroner's Office and taken to the Medical University of South Carolina for forensic examination and analysis. The identity of the remains and the circumstances behind their death are currently unknown, stated the sheriff's office, adding the investigation is active. In an interview with Newsweek on Sunday, May 25, Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey said the remains consist of a skull and separated bones. Harvey further added that they could be from the Revolutionary War or Civil War, and that his office plans to identify the bones and determine how old they are. According to Edisto Island's website, Edingsville Beach was once a popular vacation spot, particularly for the elite, during the first half of the 19th century. In 1825, it was made up of 60 tabby and brick houses with verandas facing the ocean. The community also had several churches, boathouses, a schoolhouse and a billiard saloon. Over time, Edingsville Beach faded due to continued beach erosion and the impact of the Civil War. In 1885, a hurricane hit the island, and all that was left were a few houses. Towards the end of the century, the island was all but abandoned. The website also noted that in 2015, a tourist from Pennsylvania visiting the north end of Edisto Island spotted a bone sticking out of the mud and collected several of them before they got washed away by the high tide. Shortly after, a former Edisto Beach State Park ranger found several teeth attached to a skull while on vacation. Paleontologists later determined that both sets of remains — one of them a cow skeleton — dated back to 1865 and 1870. PEOPLE contacted the Colleton County Coroner's Office and the Colleton County Sheriff's Office for additional information on Tuesday, May 27. Read the original article on People
