Occasionally, people in Utah find human remains. Remains can be exposed through erosion, through digging (as in digging a foundation for a house), or through some other kind of ground disturbance. Human remains are sometimes found by people just out for a hike.
If you do find human remains while you are out or if you are digging, do not disturb them further. In Utah it is a third degree felony for anyone except an archaeologist, the Medical Examiner's office, law enforcement, or a licensed mortician to disturb, move, remove, conceal, or destroy human remains.
No matter what the age of the bones appears to be, leave them in place and call the local law enforcement agency. If the remains are ancient, law enforcement will contact the Antiquities Section of State History.
If you determine that the remains are not recent, call the Antiquities Section at 801/533-3564 or 801/533-3524. Do not remove human remains from the ground. That is the job of the Antiquities Section. Also, please call us if your agency is storing ancient remains that it received in the past.
For the remains of indigenous peoples, the Utah State Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and federal NAGPRA provide a process through which they can be repatriated and reburied. See more information on Utah State NAGPRA and federal NAGPRA.
76-9-704 - Abuse or Desecration of a Dead Human Body
9-8-309. Ancient human remains on nonfederal lands that are not state lands
9-9-403. Ownership and disposition of Native American remains
Additional legal authority is found in Utah's Administrative Code
R212-4 Ancient Human Remains
If you have questions about human remains, contact Ron Rood, assistant state archaeologist, at 801/533-3564.