A Utah teenager who was doing some yard work discovered Indian remains that date back 1,000 years.

Ali Erturk at first didn't think the bones he found in his family's backyard were human. But it turns out they belong to someone who lived in the area hundreds of years ago.

"Humans have occupied this valley for up to 10,000 years," a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts told The Salt Lake Tribune.

The department is analyzing the remains and the Division of Indian Affairs will determine whether they should be repatriated to a tribe or tribes.

Get the Story:
Utah boy finds human remains in backyard: "It was kind of eerie" (AP 3/31)
Ancient remains of American Indian found in Salt Lake City backyard (The Salt Lake Tribune 3/29)
Utah Teen Discovers Possible Fremont Skeleton While Digging In Backyard (KUTV 3/28)