Construction workers uncover chilling remains at flagship public university, halting project

Construction workers at the University of Oklahoma came across century-old human remains while on the job. The grim and startling discovery brought the project to a halt.

The University of Oklahoma announced the discovery in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

In the release, issued Feb. 20, the school said the remains were found at the construction site for OU's future Life Sciences Laboratories Building. 

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Pictures obtained by Fox News Digital show that the construction site was emptied out in the wake of the discovery.

OU said that work "stopped immediately" at the site once the remains were found.

"The university notified law enforcement and the State Medical Examiner's Office," the statement read. 

"All required procedures and state burial protection laws are being followed."

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"The university is committed to ensuring the remains are handled with care, dignity and respect," the release added.

Though research is still ongoing, the university said that no foul play is suspected.

"Based on preliminary evaluation, there are no findings to suggest criminal activity," the statement added. 

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"Early indications suggest the remains date to the early 1900s."

In a Feb. 26 statement to Fox News Digital, university officials said the remains may have been cadavers.

The Oklahoma Archaeological Survey (OAS), which operates out of OU's campus, said the remains appear to be "cadavers used for educational purposes in the early 1900s."

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"The remains were found in the area of the former School of Biological Sciences, and their handling at the time followed standard practices," OU said.

The construction project has since resumed.

The discovery comes nearly a year after a similar discovery was made in England.

Last April, University of Gloucestershire reported that construction workers found 317 skeletons and 83 brick burial vaults during their work on the school's City Campus.