A contractor discovered skeletal remains while working on a new home in Fishersville, Virginia, late last month. Forensic anthropology revealed they belong to a child who died over 100 years ago, local officials say.
Found on May 23, the remains were excavated and sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Roanoke and evaluated by a staff forensic anthropologist, the Augusta County Sheriff's Office said in a Friday Facebook post.
"The remains appear to be that of a child who passed away over 100 years ago and was buried in a coffin in an unmarked grave," the sheriff's office said.
The remains were determined to date to the late 1800s to early 1900s, according to the sheriff's office.
"We are of course saddened by this discovery, but thankful that these remains were not connected with any criminal activity," the post said.
The sheriff's office did not identify the child and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN.
Fishersville is in northern Virginia, around 100 miles northwest from Richmond.
