Chesapeake Bay beachcomber finds coffin with skeleton remains

[@WW-81]

very weird they just left it on the beach and a civilian had to gather the remains and coffin himself.

[@Geeksmithing]

Yeah exactly.

[@ARAMOS-ld6bd]

​@frenchonion4595 isn't Chesapeake Bay in the east coast?

[@Geeksmithing]

@@ARAMOS-ld6bd haha yep! Bless their heart.

[@TheLordOfNothing]

@@frenchonion4595 Chesapeake Bay is Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, that area. Definitely not California.

[@blackhawku]

@@frenchonion4595u smoking crack not California

[@IntrepidFraidyCat]

The archeological "experts" don't come across well in this story. Poor Oliver did all the work and actually cared about that person's remains. You're a gem, Oliver!❤

[@gr8dvd]

100% with the right expertise they should be able to find many answers… hope they do so before burying the remains.

[@seeharvester]

I agree. They don't appear to know what they're doing, or seem to care.

[@eh1843]

@@gr8dvd Funding is aways a problem for history departments.

[@garylefevers]

Exactly

[@jtomyhope575]

the archeological society is just civilians with a hobby. They probably only care about relics, and not people.

[@sjan8629]

Thanks for caring, Oliver. Your hat says US Air Force. I'm retired USAF.

[@KeyboardBuster]

He probably found it in a garbage can and is playing "make believe" to himself

[@nazikiller0164]

Were archaeologists actually involved in this? Kudos to that beachcomber for preserving that coffin. Sounds to me like the so-called professionals dropped the ball.🤔

[@KitKatToeBeans]

Why should they be? Someone died about 100 years ago and their coffin & remains were found. It’s not of historical significance. Had the bones been found on the beach without a coffin then it would/should be investigated.

[@jtomyhope575]

the "archeologists" were just volunteers with an interest in the field. They're not necessarily going to care about old bones.

[@nazikiller0164]

@jtomyhope575 OK- so they're not archaeologists. That explains alot.

[@nazikiller0164]

@KitKatToeBeans "it's not of historical significance". Please cite your evidence.

[@wayIess]

​@@KitKatToeBeans Why should archeologists be involved? Kind of their job title when it comes to historical remains. Including the seemingly inconsequential ones. Aside that and just on the general topic, archeologists and their crew tend to get very little funding and support themselves. Might be a case of that where people couldn't be sent over.

[@LauraSnow-in3nx]

What an amazing guy to honestly take care of this and preserve it and try to bring some dignity to this poor person. I have so much respect for this guy thank you.

[@patriciaribaric3409]

I heard about 20 - 30 years ago that the ocean's rise was causing old cemeteries to be flooded out to sea in the Chesapeake Bay area. Looks like nothing was done to move the deceased to higher ground.

[@Bill-im6nt]

That huge tree stump near it shows it was dry land not too long ago. Probably a long-lost burial, maybe there are others nearby?

[@ffjsb]

Sea level has only risen 6-8 inches in the last 100 years or so. That's not going to flood a cemetery unless they located it in a marsh....

[@Bill-im6nt]

​@@ffjsb There is this thing called erosion that water sometimes does! Frequently, shorelines can recede other than from the sea level rising, making it appear that locally it is rising. Florida and California are recent examples.

[@ariadnefrolich7243]

That's why in New Orleans everyone is buried in mausoleums. To quote my papa, "You don't want to see your late great uncle floating down the street every time it floods."

[@brobinson8614]

@@ffjsb Its erosion, especially from high tides and storms, (bigger and faster in the last decade or so), as eats away at coastal land. I understand why 6-8 inches sounds insignificant, but imagine that spread over an entire ocean. All that ocean wide 6-8 inches carries a massive amount of extra energy, so its extra energy pounding away against the coastline. So sea level rise that seems initially laughable, actually is a real problem, and sadly is why many insurance companies have in recent years stopped cover of coastal and low lying properties.

[@Geeksmithing]

Why did he have to dig it up himself? 🤷‍♂️

[@bleirdo_dude]

🤑

[@vincenthighwind7622]

The archeologists thought it was a vampire skeleton and didn't want to get cursed

[@AtomicDog-v2d]

I heard about that . Crazy superstitions..

[@yoBigWave]

That town didn't seem too bright. Can't identify the gender either, instead they'll make a few bucks at the museum with it.

[@theoriginaleb9616]

Why can’t she determine the age or gender? There are far older remains that have been categorized. These remains need to be examined by a forensic anthropologist with more experience.

[@KatjeKat86]

The more we start doing genetic testing the more we realize that archeologists are not as right with gender-specific bone markers as we once thought we were. A good percentage of bones are gender neutral/ambiguous. She might not be able to tell how old the person was because it's degradation and bad preservation of the bones. Yes you can tell the person was an adult but you can't really always tell beyond rough estimates what age someone is at the best of times. Things like nutrition and disease will cause bones to look older then someone actually is in chronological years. That's why even with the most reputable scientists who are experts in their field you'll get really broad categories of this person was 16 to 25 years old as an example. By the quick look of the bones I got I would guess probably male, again as I previously stated it could be wrong. Skull appears grown adult beyond that no clue.

[@mikekellum6238]

She did say “ he” when talking about the skeleton.

[@gurugurukuma]

​​@@mikekellum6238EXACTLY!!!! what she can't determine is his age and race.

[@piratessalyx7871]

@@gurugurukumashe unqualified…period…not enough learning or experience

[@dar4061]

You ask the question and then state what they should do. If you had the first clue about what you're talking about, you wouldn't have to ask the question in the first place, you'd know the answer...so wheres the logic an asking why something wasn't done and then telling other people what should be done? 😂😂😂😂

[@clairwaucaush7225]

Interesting story. The bones should have gone to the local cemetery. BUT the old coffin should have gone to the museum. Looks like 150 year old workmanship. And still in fairly good shape. Very rare.

[@bekahjoy6600]

Apparently my tiny town had something like this happen when my grandpa was young, a massive flood went through a cemetery, picked up the coffins and tossed them all over.

[@luisgordillo1695]

This is most likely how this happened.

[@KtP370]

There used to be a stone church and cemetery next to my high school in my hometown and the coffins would push up out of the ground during heavy rain storms.

[@BelleWhittington]

@@KtP370 that is terrifying….

[@spvillano]

@@BelleWhittington that's one of the reasons many communities now require a concrete vault, to prevent coffins from floating out during heavy rains.

[@MySilverSprings]

Same thing happened to the Hardin cemetery in Missouri in the 1993 floods. The museum has a post that states there were 793 coffins washed downstream. Only 645 remains were recovered. Devastating to some of the families.

[@brobinson8614]

Awesome story and a good dude, thinking with respect for the dead.

[@berglettemom6045]

Fascinating! I agree the coffin should be in a museum.

[@KeyboardBuster]

I take it you never went to a thrift store or estate sale, there's lots of antique crap there too.

[@justdoingitjim7095]

He might've call the archaeologists, but they didn't investigate. No way they would've left all those bones laying there after digging around in the coffin. And that medical examiner, I don't think she's completely legit. There's a lot more info she could've found if she'd tried! Maybe it just wasn't that important to her.

[@brianhaflin9799]

However, that also cost money that most police and medical examiner offices don't have the funds for every case they get. Even with cold cases, police might be lucky if they can investigate 2-3 of them a year and they would still need a valid and legit reason to do so.

[@Musicball]

What do you think was left for the ME to find on 100+ year old bones that had been submerged in water for who knows how long?

[@jeffwalters7404]

​@@Musicballthey can do it. Maybe not her, but many old shipwrecks found with bones can be somewhat identified.

[@charlie1567]

Shouldn’t a medical examiner not be able to tell the gender based on the form and width of the hips etc and for women if they had given birth due to the pelvis deformation ? If they had almost the entire skeleton, you can also see from the hands/ knuckles if this was a grown up or adolescent etc. With humans (alive) they x-ray that part and can give a clear age diagnostic but given this was a skeleton, she could measure that part. At least then the person could be buried with some reference like „unknown man age circa 20 deceased circa 1900 ...

[@AdeleiTeillana]

If the ME is going to investigate a cold case, wouldn't it be better to investigate cases that are definitely murder and have a chance of being solved while the perpetrator is still alive versus one that is over a hundred years old with nothing more to gain than satisfying our curiosity? If archeologists had gotten involved and there was some funding coming in for this, that'd be one thing, but if this has to come from the same low budget that police departments also put towards cold cases, I'd say let them investigate more recent ones.

[@Flippy_D1ppy]

A forensic anthropologist should handle that case.

[@ltvanburen8555]

They aren’t interested in; they have millions of crimes to solve.

[@williamcap2236]

It is very possible that at some point that hill beside where the coffin was found collapsed and the person was above but ended up in the water ! Which would explain why it is now full of sand !

[@frenchonion4595]

Yeah back in the day they just buried people at the back of the house might of been an old homestead in the 1800's there

[@ytzpilot]

Yes if you look at Hart Island in NY it is also eroding into the sea and many remains are being exposed along the shoreline, perfect example of how this happens

[@BORN-to-Run]

Wait a minute...Wait a minute! Aren't they going to try to extract DNA from it? I want to hear the results.

[@worldwidestuff5567]

Naa nobody cares.

[@Hedgeknight420]

Probably no money in the budget after Biden and the democrats destroyed our economy . A lot of communities are left with empty wallets and no way to perform these tests comfortably .

[@Iluv2crochet]

Me too!

[@BunnyandMoon]

@@worldwidestuff5567I do.

[@katherinetamarizhoward3215]

That requires a fair bit of funding, which they most likely don't have. Especially not outside of large cities like New York, where forensic DNA can be done "in house", so to speak. But even there, there has to be funding for it because running the machines ain't cheap. In this case it'd need to be sent to an outside lab, either a private lab or a large municipal lab, and that alone costs money. So, if this is not considered a high priority by local officials, or if a private citizen or organization doesn't come forward to take over the care of the remains and pay for the testing, there won't be DNA testing of these remains.

[@kushmint4205]

Thank you Oliver

[@ysimms7481]

Im not suprised. I was born and raised in Annapolis Maryland. As a kid my family used to go to Sandy Point beach. Once we saw a body in the water at the beach. Another time a body was found at the Baltimore Harbor.

[@Christophertracy09]

Did you report the body you saw to the police, I hope?

[@scottleatherman163]

Body’s in the Baltimore Harbor that happens every day ! Nothing new there!

[@bleirdo_dude]

That’s some ghetto beach right there.

[@acousticshadow4032]

I see several bodies in the water at our beach ~ most wearing bathing suits.

[@cathyspinelli9541]

The authorities just left it there?

[@AtomicDog-v2d]

What do you think just because they are public servants they should have to do their jobs??

[@queenofthebronx]

😂​@@AtomicDog-v2d

[@Mustang09Hotty]

They took the bones left the coffin because it was just wood

[@soulchorea]

I may not know much, but I know my TV, and in my expert opinion that dude is INTERESTING. I bet he has all kinds of stories like this

[@Murse1992]

They left him to do it?! 😮 Is it just me, or is this guy freaking awesome. Ide love to comb the beach with you and hear any story you have to offer.

[@GK-no1xf]

I’m an archaeologist. I would love to know who the archaeologist the called out.

[@RawOlympia]

Very surprised by the lackadaisical 'experts', usually on crime shows this is a big deal. Oliver was the voice of sanity and compassion here, we are fortunate he took such care.✨✨

[@scottleatherman163]

Where exactly was this at in Calvert County Maryland? Why was the Sheriffs Department not interviewed?

[@OrioleBeagle]

Calvert Cliffs

[@worldwidestuff5567]

Cuz nobody cares, it's just an old grave. They'll rebury the bones and move on.

[@scottleatherman163]

@@OrioleBeagle OK Thank you 👍

[@scottleatherman163]

@@worldwidestuff5567 Well I am sure someone cares if the DNA was taken to track down the family members or history of the family. How would you feel if this was a family member of your Ancestry from 100 years ago ? Wouldn’t you want to give the skeletal remains another proper burial out of respect and dignity for your family? I know my family would . And it would not matter if we actually knew them or not . May they once again R.I.P. 🙏

[@scottleatherman163]

@ NOBODY CARES ? I care and I’m sure a lot of other folks do as well especially the person’s family! This person has a history and a family no matter how many years it was! I would hope if this was your family member you would care no matter how long it had been and if you didn’t even know him or her !

[@Carini76]

So, the take-away is: if you find a coffin or remains, claim it and bring it home? This clip created more questions than it answered. Thanks, “news”

[@kashmir6672]

Lol

[@AbigayleFall-sp3wt]

Hey guys, nerd here! Judging from the state of the bones, and more importantly the coffin itself, my guess is that this decedent died sometime preceding or during the 1860’s, as not long after casualties started skyrocketing during the Civil War, we start seeing the mass production of caskets instead of coffins that has continued until today, although quite a few European countries still use coffins for certain people being laid to rest, like for example the Royal family members. More specifically to me, I personally guess this fellow dates somewhere around 1790 ish to 1860… correct me if I’m wrong. 🤔

[@bleirdo_dude]

NERD! 😅

[@oni_goroshi]

That style of coffin was used up until at least the 1920s for poor individuals.

[@JohnDavies-cn3ro]

Down along the British south west coast, particularly in Devon, Cornwall and Pembrokeshire, there are a great many burial pits on the cliff tops, which in some cases are being uncovered by coastal erosion. Back before the 1850's any bodies which were washed ashore were frequently buried where they were found - if taken to a village cemetery the parish would have to stand the cost of a funeral, and doing it this way only cost someone the labour of digging a grave. But they didn't usually bother to use a coffin, either.

[@justmejenny7986]

The human remains should be buried in it's original coffin not on display. Good lord let whoever it is rest in peace.

[@brianhaflin9799]

Might not be possible. It would be hard to find somewhere willing to allow the body to be buried in the original coffin and even that would still likely require the body placed into a vault.

[@vihtoripuurola3775]

The soul is no longer with the remains.

[@BrennanAbadie]

Good lord

[@seeharvester]

@@vihtoripuurola3775 I wouldn't want my remains desecrated, soul or not.

[@seeharvester]

@@vihtoripuurola3775 I wouldn't want my remains desecrated, soul or not.

[@matambale]

Skeletal remains, not skeleton remains.

[@bleirdo_dude]

🤣

[@oni_goroshi]

Well, the skeleton remained on that beach for a while. Lol

[@staceyhodur728]

Archaeologists? They did not get involved. Local Sheriff office and morgue, yes.

[@james1787]

I don't understand why the guy had to remove the remains himself. None of these agencies at least wanted to move the remains to a safe place / facility until they could be processed / relocated / re-buried? Instead leave it for the guy to get them - or anyone else to find them?

[@WilliamNast-v1g]

Well done, sir. You did well! I agree it should be preserved.

[@kathleenmartin7498]

Oliver is a great guy!!

[@lutomson3496]

the experts dont care and no one is talking about DNA testing

[@parrotsarnoso1099]

Here in my small midwest town we have old cemeteries everywhere, there is one behind an old church and some others behind old homes. Apparently people used to bury their loved ones in their backyards centuries ago. Probably this casket came from a backyard and the ocean destroyed or washed away this backyard.

[@PlightOfAMan]

Had nothing to say when the guy suggested it should be “displayed” lol

[@ahill4642]

I caught that, too! 😂 bit of silence and then changed the subject

[@PlightOfAMan]

@ hahaha

[@stevenkaskus6173]

No one is explaining the reason these remains would be on a Beach.

[@justlucky13]

RIP

[@REVNUMANEWBERN]

Oliver needs to mark that area of GPS it & go back & dig around

[@billmoser8825]

You can look at that many ways the craftsmanship went into someone's grave and final moments on this Earth they were never meant to be seen again

[@mikekennedy4572]

How sad that this coffin and skeleton were found in a place it shouldn't be. I will never forget on a family camping trip about 1969 as our parents drove our RV through Tijuana, Mexico, as we headed south, we passed an old cemetery on a slope above the road. The cemetery was very old and the slope was slowly eroding, exposing a few coffins and skeletons to the air. I could see crumbly wooden coffins that were sticking out of the soil and they had spilled out their human remains. It was sad that no one cared.

[@naomiweaver1855]

Not all medical examiners are doctors. Not even close. There’s no standardization. And towns may just want it to go away if they don’t have the expertise to investigate. It isn’t a good situation. People would have to complain.

[@HarshmanHills]

Hold up. The government left the skeleton there?

[@frenchfriedrat]

Great find, strange story.

[@animeevergreenathena]

Oh my gosh!? Wow…

[@BilldoeTruth]

Goshelter NYC 😢

[@yesterdaze114]

YOU ARE THE MAN, OLIVER!!!!

[@frenchonion4595]

No DNA test at least?

[@HunkMine]

For a dna test you need a matching sample. If it's 100 years old you're not going to find a match in any database

[@wildatheart3182]

@@HunkMinegenetic genealogy is returning names to Jane and John Does rather frequently these days. I would hope these remains aren't reburied before a sample (thigh bone) is taken. I'd want to know if my family member was somehow lost by the bay

[@gayemarianesfox2405]

That’s incredible!

[@edwardsanchez3708]

Oliver if you see this you are a legendary human being and that person would be greatful for what you did.

[@terryl.cooper]

Some of you geniuses need to do some research before you comment. There is no way, that if it were done properly, a burial AT SEA would have ended up in a BAY.

[@FundyisleLegacy]

Oh and whats your logic behind this?

[@countyseatadventures]

​@FundyisleLegacy A couple of main reasons being that historically, lumber wasn't typically carried as cargo on passenger ships, so making a coffin wasn't done. Any deaths were also promptly taken care of for fear of the spread of disease, and of course the smell of decomp. The bodies were wrapped in a shroud, weighted..when/if possible, then placed in the sea. And coffins wouldn't be used, as they would require more weight so it wouldn't float.

[@FundyisleLegacy]

@@countyseatadventures makes sense, she confused me with the whole “at sea wouldn’t end up in a bay” thing like bays aren’t a part of the sea/ocean lol

[@GoogleSpyZon]

Coffins of this age and style traditionally would have a name plate attached to the lid, it may be a good idea to do some metal detection in the area.

[@CharityS-Minnesota]

Wish they would’ve had an osteo archaeologist look at it

[@misterpsych3804]

Oliver's 15 minutes of fame!

[@carmaela2689]

Dracula has returned But in all seriousness, bless this man for caring about remains.

[@Owletess]

This seems like awfully careless reporting..or investgating. How did it get there? Any documentation of an old cemetery in the area? Some graves are washed out by errosion, and im thinking this is what happened...maybe many years ago, only found now. Or it was a coffin on board a ship that sank or was intentionally thrown over or sea burial. The coffin looks old, thin wood, no apparent hardware. Surely some clues are there to yield something about this. Tests on bones and the wood would ar least give clues like presence of old embalming chemicals (arsenic specifically, banned from trade in US in 1910), dendrochronology of wood...dna likely not viable but never know. Very interesting

[@klrmoto]

I want to know what else has Oliver has found on the beach.

[@thebreakspire]

it's a huge spot for Miocene era fossils, including Megalodon teeth. I bet the guy has a great collection.

[@-.._.-_...-_.._-..__..._.-.-.-]

This is what 99% of us eventually become: discarded and forgotten.

[@Carini76]

Dirt.

[@libbylandscape3560]

Does it really matter? “We” have left, the only thing that remains is the shell that our soul occupied.

[@sandrap6321]

Seems like he wanted to be found. Maybe somebody with money can step up & pay for more investigation/dna testing. If he was killed, maybe a newspaper has a writeup. Seems like a movie/book story.

[@therealBocaStudios]

Are there any reporters left? Was this a man or woman? How tall? Will there be further examination?

[@Quezonol]

So the experts were fine with it as is and probably comeback with proper tools to excavate it. Oliver took it upon himself to remove the remains and coffin himself. We need the side of the experts that came out. What did they say that prompted Oliver to take action.

[@nichole771]

Why would they just leave the body there? Strange.

[@AlmostMiddleAgedASMR]

That is wild they left the bones?

[@robertburgess8288]

Folks 30 and other don’t give a crap about the history that came before them they are just worried about the next I phone coming out or what’s on Netflix .History is important we need to preserve why did he do all the work.God bless this caring man.

[@sugarmuffin319]

That's amazing

[@EveryAmerican1459]

So everyone left them their at first?

[@JoeyLaison]

When experts and professionals become part of a budgeted system, they lose their efficacy. Thats when archeologists, investigators, detectives, and craftsmen who practice with passion (and not for beaureaus) shine!

[@bleirdo_dude]

🌈

[@BrokenWrenches]

crazy story.

[@doreenpretorius2156]

Awesome ❤

[@adamhuffman3354]

Intriguing

[@jkbarr30]

Someone call an anthropologist

[@BrianM-44041]

Billions of people have died on this earth, its not surprising someone finds one once in a while where it shouldn't be.

[@johnniemcbride2772]

During the 1990s, it was either Hurricane Iris or Hurricane Opal that numerous caskets popped out of cemeteries in the southeastern US. I remember reading articles about it in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Perhaps, it's time to cross-reference those records with this story?

[@Michael-cf9lf]

It should be buried again 100 years old is still fairly recent its not that old for example it could of been the age approximately of an older adults grand parent which could of gotten disinterred in some major flood that took it out to sea.

[@GameGhost1]

The EXPERTS left the coffin behind?!?

[@sstanek7555.5]

He’s right 100 year old wood does look cool.

[@898792]

The archeologists were just going to leave it there?

[@waynemiller6156]

A piece of history

[@REVNUMANEWBERN]

Should of kept one of the bones to see if DNA could be extracted

[@deadeyes4626]

“Professional” is laughable

[@ExploringUmbria]

I wonder if there was a cemetery there at one time and erosion of the coast resulted in the coffin becoming submerged at the coast?

[@Dissident82]

Maybe this is the first EVER trans person they have found? I'm just appalled the cop assumed his gender.

[@brendacanter9768]

The official's left human remains out in the open? Need to fire them. Dumbest move ever. Let me guess democrats.

[@TheBigbossjack]

wow that's crazy! R.I.P person.

[@jamesseaman2950]

The coffin probably floated there long ago after a flood. It happens from time to time that hydrostatic pressure in saturated soil can cause them to pop out of the ground and get carried away by floodwaters. A really bad flood can empty entire cemeteries.

[@alro11]

Who is it?

[@chrisbrady-t1u]

No,the dude would have wanted to stay in his old coffin,no museum.

[@jillmclean5804]

Apparently the ride is not over, even when it is over.

[@ahill4642]

SURF’S UP❗️

[@lisalee3067]

Maybe that used to be dry land but now has water so the buried is rising.

[@Rick8191-tv8pg]

Dude seems cool!

[@ScarlettEmeraldASMR]

Wow that's incredible. But I do think DNA could possibly be tested on the bones

[@matthewszalkowski4719]

No bones about the fact that this is a......bone-a-fide mystery where details are......skeletal. I know stop the bone headed puns right

[@KeyboardBuster]

I can't determine the gender but I am pretty sure how this person died. That makes tons of sense lady.

[@1954shadow]

What did one casket say to the other casket: “Was that you - coffin?”

[@daveroberts7295]

In 1863 victims of a ship wreck, the SS Anglo Saxon were buried on a beach, near the scene of the wrecking, over 250 souls. Years later they started weathering out of the beach and it was decided to relocate the remains to a meadow nearby. I visited the site a few years ago and there was a dark streak in the bank cut by the sea. I suspect that might have been from the bodies. The ship was a Royal Mail ship lost in 1863 bound for Montreal. Burial of bodies in the easily dug soil near a beach is a thing.

[@justinmanzo3945]

take a dna sample

[@lysergicore]

I can't believe Chesapeake was the Bay beachcomber Butcher

[@mother4627]

DNA should be done to identify this person. There are missing people from 100 years ago on doe network.

[@libbylandscape3560]

There needs to be tissue to do DNA testing.

[@mother4627]

@libbylandscape3560 my daughter has her PhD in Genetics. She says that the pulp in a tooth or marrow from a hip bone will give results. Even Neanderthals remains have given results, however the structure of the DNA may have to be reconstructed through a computer program that puts degraded DNA back together, much like a puzzle.

[@libbylandscape3560]

@@mother4627 yes, my ex was a prof of genetics for over 35 yrs & did genetic research during that time. My problem with thus particular set of bones is their age, the length they were in the water, and the condition they appear to be in.

[@death44444]

Beautiful

[@libertyvilleguy2903]

Surprised they can’t determine gender.

[@juancarloscuaocastellanos8813]

Réquiem aeternam donna eis, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis. Amén.