Human remains found ‘eroding from the shoreline,’ North Carolina officials say

Human bones found spilling from the shoreline in southeastern North Carolina have been transferred to the Office of State Archaeology for examination, according to state officials.

The remains included century-old human skulls and were found along the Intracoastal Waterway, WECT reported.

“On April 16, human remains were discovered eroding from the shoreline at an undisclosed location in New Hanover County and recovered by the Wilmington Police Department,” the N.C. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources said in a statement.

“After determination by the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to not be criminally related, authority was transferred April 22 to the State Archaeologist, and the Office of State Archaeology took custody April 24.”

An estimated age for the remains was not released.

The Unmarked Human Burial and Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act covers unmarked graves and human skeletons from vandalism “and inadvertent destruction.”

If analysis reveals the remains are Native American in nature, the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs must be consulted about “ultimate disposition,” the law states.

“If the State Archaeologist has received no information or communication concerning the identity or next of kin of the deceased, the skeletal remains shall be transferred to the State Archaeologist and permanently curated according to standard museum procedures after adequate skeletal analysis,” the law states.

Wilmington is about a 200-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 11:23 AM.