ABOVE: Carole Mandryk, associate professor of anthropology, shows the site underneath Holden Chapel where human bones were found. BELOW: During a construction project, human bones were found beneath Holden Chapel. Photos by Kris Snibbe

Workers gutting Holden Chapel last week in preparation for a renovation of the 1744 brick structure came upon something unexpected – a collection of human bones.

The operator of a mini-bulldozer clearing debris in Holden’s basement uncovered the bones when the scoop of his machine accidentally cut through the wall of a brick well or cistern.

Rachel Sexton ’00, an archaeology concentrator who was observing some of the Yard excavations in preparation for a senior thesis, noticed the bones and called in archaeologist Carole Mandryk, associate professor of anthropology, to identify them.

Mandryk’s first thought on hearing of the discovery was that the bones might be the remains of a grisly murder. Seeing them, she realized they were human and that some had been sawed in half, but the dismemberment had occurred well after death. That fact suggested another interpretation.

Meanwhile, Sexton had researched the history of the building and discovered that between 1782 and 1850 Holden had been used as a medical laboratory.

"It seems that someone had been preparing parts of cadavers for teaching purposes," Mandryk said. Only a few limbs and part of a pelvis have been found so far.

Holden was renovated in 1850, at which time a large quantity of trash, including the bones, may have been stuffed into the cistern.

"Apparently at some point this structure was used as a garbage dump," said Mandryk. "In addition to the bones we found pottery, shoes, broken scientific glassware, chicken bones – an amazing collection of things."

Mandryk said that the Harvard police contacted her when they heard about the discovery of the bones. They too wondered if there may have been wrongdoing involved.

Whether the bones would be considered evidence or artifacts came down to a question of age. Under Massachusetts law, human remains less than 100 years old are the concern of the police and the forensics lab, while those more than 100 years old fall under the jurisdiction of the state archaeologist.

Fortunately, the bones were found in close proximity to pottery fragments that could be dated to approximately 1850. Holden was declared an archaeological site, not a crime scene.

Later, as workers continued to dig out the cellar, it was discovered that the soil was contaminated with arsenic, mercury, and lead. Mandryk suggested that these metals might have been used in the embalming process and had leached into the surrounding soil.

The level of contamination has yet to be fully determined. Workers and archaeologists who are in contact with the dust and debris have been required to wear protective suits and masks.

Asked to speculate on the possible value of the find, Mandryk said that while many archaeological remains have been dug up in the Yard, most tell of the social side of life at Harvard – bottles, dinnerware, clay pipes, and the like.

"There is very little evidence of academic activity," Mandryk said. The Holden discovery may cast light on past medical practices as well as medical education.

It is also the first time in her knowledge that human remains have been discovered in a Yard dig.