Podesta Ranch Elementary School in Stockton is the site where human bones were found Thursday. The bones may be America Indian remains and were discovered by workers installing water lines. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)

Bones found

'Very old' remains, possibly American Indian, unearthed at Stockton school construction site

Workers building a new Lodi Unified school have discovered what district officials say could be American Indian remains.

Bone material was discovered by the workers as they installed water lines at the Podesta Ranch Elementary School site on Davis Road and Whistler Way in Stockton on Thursday,

The workers notified their manager, who alerted Art Hand, assistant superintendent of facility planning for Lodi Unified School District, at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Construction at the school site has been delayed until archeologists can determine whether there are any additional remains at the site, according to Ken Davis, Lodi Unified board president.

Confusion about whether the site was in city or county jurisdiction led to a late-night call to the San Joaquin County Coroner's Office.

A pathologist from the coroner's office arrived at the site Friday morning and confirmed that the fragments were, in fact, human remains and could be of American Indian heritage, according to Hand.

Hand said bone fragments, the longest of which are four to five inches long, were broken into many pieces, possibly by farming equipment.

"They are very old," he said.

Some of the fragments appear to be human knees from both the left and right legs.

Hand said remains had been found recently at another site to the west of Podesta Ranch.

He suspects the remains could belong to a member of the Miwok tribe.

"That's the only tribe that's being discussed right now," Hand said.

District officials are waiting to hear from representatives from the Native American Heritage Commission on what they should do with the remains.

The commission was established by the state Legislature in 1976, making it the official government agency that identifies and coordinates Native American resources, such as remains and sacred sites.

The district had made several calls to the commission but has yet to hear a response. A message left Friday afternoon by the News-Sentinel was not immediately returned.

Lodi Unified has since contacted Jones and Stokes, a Sacramento environmental firm. Archeologists from the firm visited the site Friday along with a representative sent by Stockton resident Katherine Perez, who often works with the commission when American Indian remains are found in the area.

Construction at Podesta Ranch began Aug. 30. The school is expected to cost $14 million with $7 million coming from Measure L funds and $7 million coming from the state. The school will house 822 students and is scheduled to open for the 2008-09 school year.

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.