10 skeletons discovered at construction site

Years before anyone thought of parking cars at University Avenue and Civic Center Boulevard, the site may have served as a burial ground, dating back at least more than a century. About two weeks ago, construction workers found human bones and a human skull while digging as part of the parking center construction. The University hired archaeologists from the private firm Kise, Straw and Kolodner to excavate the human remains from the site near the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Already, the archaeologists have uncovered at least 10 skeletons. "Those remains... will be taken to our lab in New Jersey... where they will be examined to determine what group these people represent and the date range of the burial," said Thomas Crist, who heads the excavation for both the private firm and the Philadelphia Medical Examiner. Crist is also an adjunct faculty member in the Dental School's pathology department. Crist's team has been working since last Tuesday morning to open up more of the site and look for intact burials. And while the first set of remains found were exposed, later bodies were found in coffin-like containers. The remains have not yet been dated, but Crist is certain that they are very old. City maps going back to the 1880s show no record of a burial site where the remains were found, but according to Crist such findings are not uncommon in an older city like Philadelphia. Maps showed that what is now CHOP was once the Blockley Alms House, where the city's poor were taken. And the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania was a public charity hospital. The Woodlands Cemetery is also in the vicinity of the site, and Crist believes the bodies are related to one of these places. University spokeswoman Phyllis Holtzman said Kise, Straw and Kolodner was hired to ensure that all remains were handled properly. "[Kise, Straw and Kolodner] has a lot of experience with this kind of work," Holtzman said. "The key was to deal with this in a sensitive, respectful manner." Kise, Straw and Kolodner has been involved in other archaeological excavations around the city, including one currently being done at Independence Hall. Holtzman and Crist both said that all remains will be buried again once they have been fully examined. "Fully qualified archaeologists will ensure that all remains are respectfully disinterred, examined and then reinterred elsewhere," Crist said. He also praised the University and the construction workers who discovered the remains for the way both handled this situation. "The University should be commended," Crist said. "They are very sensitive to the nature of this site." He added, "Many developers would cover [a site] up or demolish it without thinking twice." The construction company that found the remains -- A.P. Construction, Inc. -- "should get credit," for alerting authorities about the remains, he said. Construction has been allowed to continue near the excavation site, and all remains will hopefully be recovered within the next few weeks.