Resolved ID - Mountain Home, Two children's skeletal remains in badger hole, Apr'17 - ANCIENT

[Elley Mae]

But a forensic anthropologist determined that the remains are of a child between ages 4 and 6 and a teenager or young adult between the ages of 16 and 20.


So-called "bomb carbon dating" of the bones will determine whether the two lived before or after the introduction of atomic radiation to the atmosphere from atmospheric nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s, said Samantha Blatt, the Boise State University anthropologist examining the bones. Depending on the results, additional tests could narrow the period when the two were living.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/state/idaho/article146590794.html

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=14i02f31WDI

 

[desert-blue]

Actually I thought the Oregon trail might explain no clothes.
I would think they would want to reuse the clothes for others.
They weren't really in a position to dispose of anything then.

Also, cotton decomposes very quickly - it can be gone in as little as 6 months. Leather (for shoes) has a decomposition time of around 50 years. I think it's possible there could just be nothing left of their clothing if they were buried 150+ years ago. (carbon dating results, where are you????)

 

[4SAM]

How long does the carbon dating usually take?

 

[Tssiemer]

How long does the carbon dating usually take?

Too long apparently.


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[Elley Mae]

The sample preparation can take a couple of days - it depends on the method being used. The actual testing takes a few hours with some methods, a few minutes with others.
The slow ones are called gas counting and liquid scintillation. The fast one is accelerator dating.
*
http://www.lawas.co.nz/arch/C14faq.htm

 

[LucyOso]

The burial site doesn't make a lot of sense for a criminal act, in my opinion. It's totally out in the open, not a tree in sight for miles, and it's desert - the ground is hard, dry, and rocky. There are businesses not too far away either (that would have been there in the 1980's and 1990's). It seems an unlikely choice to dig a grave and hide two bodies (there are much more secluded areas in the nearby mountains). Pioneers along the Oregon Trail would have had little choice in where to bury their loved ones - they could go a little ways off the beaten path, but probably not too far. There are trail ruts (still visible today) probably within 5 to 10 miles of this site. One route of the Oregon Trail crossed the Snake River at Glenns Ferry (famous "Three Island Crossing") and then went along the base of the mountains and into Boise. This route is not far from where the remains were found and makes more sense to me. Just my opinion, though.... could be totally wrong. Some of the other suggestions are certainly more interesting. The site is close to the Interstate (I-84) so I suppose someone in a hurry could have disposed of bodies in the middle of the night or something like that... I wonder how long it will take to get the radio carbon dating results.... I'm so anxious for this mystery to be solved!

This is a great point. I know the area very well and popping off I-84 is convenient and one can easily be secluded rather quickly. Pop off the interstate and hop back on. Rest stop, pee break if you get questioned. There really is only desert near there that is conveniently accessible. Yes, there are mountains, but access would be limited to 3-4 months out of the year due to snow, mud, etc. There are many private properties and federal lands. The likelihood that a body in the desert in found is very, very limited. Especially with excessive sage brush and grasses covering the desert floor. Unless this was a summer incident, they would be very limited on where they could bury bodies without risking getting a vehicle stuck and getting stranded. IMOO.

 

[4SAM]

How solid, packed would the dirt had been during summer months in this area?

 

[sassyblue]

How solid, packed would the dirt had been during summer months in this area?

Judging by my soil several miles away very hard packed.

 

[wendybtn]

I'm really leaning towards these remains being from the Oregon Trail. Hopefully the carbon dating will help clear things up.

Ok, I am ignorant of what you mean by 'Oregon Trail' although I am familiar with the computer game. Help!

 

[4SAM]

Ok, I am ignorant of what you mean by 'Oregon Trail' although I am familiar with the computer game. Help!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Trail

 

[4SAM]

Judging by my soil several miles away very hard packed.

So they would have had to been there a while digging a grave. If it was in summer when left.

 

[sassyblue]

So they would have had to been there a while digging a grave. If it was in summer when left.

I would think so. Or bodies just dumped. I could drive out there later today and see how hard packed it is after our recent rains.

 

[Bit of hope]

Ok, I am ignorant of what you mean by 'Oregon Trail' although I am familiar with the computer game. Help!

hahaha just Google....

 

[Tulessa]

Is there any chance that this could be 2 of the Skeletal boys?

 

[Kaydence]

When I saw the age difference I immediately went to the boy and girl (possibly Tara Calico) from the Polaroid photo.

I hope it's not the Skelton boys.

 

[4SAM]

Is there any chance that this could be 2 of the Skeletal boys?

Where is the 3rd boy then? Could there be more bodies that they missed, remember Robert Evans/barrels situation

 

[puzzleme]

I think that will always be etched on by brain.

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[LucyOso]

So they would have had to been there a while digging a grave. If it was in summer when left.

It really depends. It depends on the time of year, if there was a creek or waterway nearby, and of course the area. There can be gravel beds, clay, limestone, or anything under the dirt. There can be creeks that change location depending on when they were buried. The person also could have picked an existing ant hill, fox/coyote den, rabbit hole, badger sett, or gopher mound and dug into that. If it was July, August, or September then yes, it would take a bit of effort to dig. It would be interesting to see if there was a road nearby where one could shine headlights onto an area working. I would imagine with this location, the person, if it was at night, would have a good long distance visual of upcoming traffic as well.

 

[Cricket99]

I have lived in Idaho my entire life and my family for generations before me so my 93 yr old Dad tells me all the history. It did not get very populated until the last 50 years. If these bones are close to that old it would have been easy to bury them in broad daylight without anyone paying any attention to what you were doing. The freeway wasn't much back then. I hope we find out soon how old the bones are. I love history so am hoping for pioneers. I have a friend who dug up a solid gold brick a few years ago near Mtn. Home - it was in a wooden box which had fallen apart and pretty much eroded and there was a note with the date on it. Evidently, there had been stagecoach robberies in the area but we will never know who buried it.

 

[4SAM]

Were the bodies on top of each other or side by side?