Construction project near Port Townsend unearths human remains

The discovery of human remains has turned a construction job in a private development near Port Townsend into a crash course in the history of the area's first people.

The project at Beckett Point, an 85-acre development on a sand spit that juts into Discovery Bay about 10 miles west of Port Townsend, was shut down following the discovery last month of about 58 human bone fragments by contractors digging a sewer system.

Last week, more remains were found when an archaeologist screened backfill from the same trench. The remains are believed to be those of Native Americans who might have used the area as a seasonal camp, said Tom Strong, deputy manager at the Skokomish Tribe.

Archaeologists have also found fire-cracked rock and midden — dark, oily ground, with remains from cooking and food preparation that are often a first sign of human use and settlement.

It is possible the area also includes a cemetery, Strong said. But there's no way to know until a full archaeological survey of the site is completed, perhaps within a month.

In the meantime, some work has restarted in an area away from the initial find.

The Beckett Point community has been around since 1939, and is owned by the nonprofit Beckett Point Fisherman's Club. About 162 people lease property from the club.

The club decided about seven years ago to replace aging septic tanks that were believed to be polluting Puget Sound. Homeowners had no idea then an archaeological discovery would become part of the bargain, said Keith Hansen, president of the homeowners' association.

"You have mixed feelings; it's interesting to learn the history that is right in your back yard," Hansen said.

But residents are now also worried about the costs of the project escalating. Homeowners are already paying about $28,000 each for the hook-ups. Now some aren't sure what the bottom line will be. "I worry every time they dig a hole," Hansen said. "Other communities are looking at this, and it may affect their willingness to do this kind of work."

The state and county may offer some grants to help defray the archaeological costs. Tribes are also contributing cultural and archaeological experts.

Cooperation has been extensive, Strong said. He credits a legacy of working together by Jefferson County elected officials and staff in the shared Quilcene and northern Hood Canal watershed.

Strong said he only wished talk about the site had started sooner. The project got its permits before Gov. Christine Gregoire issued an executive order in 2005 that would have required an archaeological survey. None was done prior to construction.

Still, even a survey might have missed remains. "We don't have X-ray vision," cautioned Allyson Brooks, director of the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

Meanwhile, a similar concern last week in Port Angeles turned out to be unfounded. Work on a $13.8 million downtown transit site was halted briefly when bones were found, but archaeologists determined the remains were the butchered bones of a cow, said Mark Madsen, city manager.

Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com