# Found a bone **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181 "2008-04-28T03:52:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/1 "2008-04-28T03:52:37Z")
Walking through a vacant lot in an old (historic) part of town, I found a round piece of bone that looks like the head of a femur from a human being. How can I identify this or what kind of place would I call to look at it for me and/or date it? ---
**Author:** ![NunOfTheAbove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@NunOfTheAbove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NunOfTheAbove)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/2 "2008-04-28T04:01:24Z")
A zooarchaeologist could tell you if the bone is human or not. If it is in a historic part of town, you could contact an archeologist or someone who does CRM work. They are generally interested in this sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/3 "2008-04-28T06:57:39Z")
I could be wrong, but I believe, in the US, it’s illegal to posess human remains except for specific reasons, like education, then they have to be from known sources. I once got a ticket for transporting a human skeleton in the from seat of my car. If you really think it’s human you can tell the police. While it probably is either very old or not human, it could be as recent as a couple years. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/4 "2008-04-28T07:54:47Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] I once got a ticket for transporting a human skeleton in the from seat of my car. [/QUOTE] Maybe you got the ticket because it wasn’t wearing a seat belt. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/5 "2008-04-28T09:29:57Z")
If you think it looks human, report it to the police. It may be the remains of a murder victim/ accident/ suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/6 "2008-04-28T11:56:02Z")
I used to do this as part of my education and teaching. I’m certainly no professional, but I’m better at identifying human bones and pieces than your average doper. Its a hobby That being said, don’t be surprised when I say…“I don’t know.” ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/7 "2008-04-28T14:29:40Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] I could be wrong, but I believe, in the US, it’s illegal to posess human remains except for specific reasons, like education, then they have to be from known sources. I once got a ticket for transporting a human skeleton in the from seat of my car. [/QUOTE] And the charge was what? Possessing an unlicensed skeleton? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/8 "2008-04-28T14:31:04Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] I once got a ticket for transporting a human skeleton in the from seat of my car. [/QUOTE] I swear, the lengths some people will go to to use the car pool lane. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/9 "2008-04-28T15:07:23Z")
yep. Post picture with a ruler or something to measure it against near it before you bother the cops. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/10 "2008-04-28T15:34:20Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] I could be wrong, but I believe, in the US, it’s illegal to posess human remains except for specific reasons, like education, then they have to be from known sources. [/QUOTE] Nah. Anyone can own all or part of a skeleton. Or any other preserved parts. You just have to be able to demonstrate that it comes from a legitimate source. You just couldn’t head out to the cemetary one night and dig up uncle Earl to put on display. [Skeleton on eBay](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260232461045) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/11 "2008-04-28T17:13:29Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] You just have to be able to demonstrate that it comes from a legitimate source. [/QUOTE] Like [The Boneroom](http://www.boneroom.com/bone/humanpost.html), with a full inventory of human bones for sale. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/12 "2008-04-28T17:17:32Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] Maybe you got the ticket because it wasn’t wearing a seat belt. [/QUOTE] It was in 1969, no seatbelts required. **Otto** , no carpool lane either. The officer asked if I owned it, I didn’t. Then, he gave me a ticket, I actually don’t remember what he put on it as the violation. The school I was transporting it for paid the ticket. **Projammer** , thank you, I really wasn’t sure. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Them](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Them)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/13 "2008-04-29T04:04:16Z")
The local natural history museum can figure out what it is. I wouldn’t bother the cops unless I knew it was human. If it is, just tell 'em when & where you found it. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/14 "2008-04-29T06:26:21Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] It was in 1969, no seatbelts required. **Otto** , no carpool lane either. [/QUOTE] Oh c’mon, **picunurse** —where’s your sense of humorus? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/15 "2008-04-29T07:11:24Z")
[QUOTE=Washoe] Oh c’mon, **picunurse** —where’s your sense of humorus? [/QUOTE] 😛😉 ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/16 "2008-04-29T10:49:40Z")
[QUOTE=Washoe] Oh c’mon, **picunurse** —where’s your sense of humorus? [/QUOTE] I think she is telling a fib…ula Si ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/17 "2008-04-29T11:10:55Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] The officer asked if I owned it, I didn’t. Then, he gave me a ticket, I actually don’t remember what he put on it as the violation. The school I was transporting it for paid the ticket. [/QUOTE] Was it a moving violation or was it something skeleton-related? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/18 "2008-04-29T11:42:15Z")
[QUOTE=The Them] I wouldn’t bother the cops unless I knew it was human. [/QUOTE] This doesn’t seem like very good advice to me (although I confess I am not an expert in matters legal etc) - I would have thought it best to leave things as undisturbed as possible until the police have eliminated the possibility of it being human remains from a recent murder or something. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/19 "2008-04-29T12:03:09Z")
[QUOTE=Cosmic Relief] Was it a moving violation or was it something skeleton-related? [/QUOTE] Hey, 35 years, I’m lucky to remember where I parked my car at the mall. I know it was related to the skeleton, but it may have been about distracting other drivers. I knew I should have dressed him. **si\_blakely** , I was a lab assistant for the collede I was attending. We moved to a new campus. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181/20 "2008-04-29T12:23:52Z")
[QUOTE=Cosmic Relief] Was it a moving violation or was it something skeleton-related? [/QUOTE] If the skeleton was moving then **picunurse** had way bigger problems than a traffic ticket. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-bone/447181.md?page=2)