Skull found near Red River is Native American, more than 100 years old

A skull found recently along the Red River in Lafayette County, Ark., was identified as at least a century-old Native American, according to Sheriff Obie Sims. Testing at the Arkansas Crime Lab in Little Rock confirmed it was Native American. (Photo courtesy of the Lafayette County Sheriff Department)
A skull found recently along the Red River in Lafayette County, Ark., was identified as at least a century-old Native American, according to Sheriff Obie Sims. Testing at the Arkansas Crime Lab in Little Rock confirmed it was Native American. (Photo courtesy of the Lafayette County Sheriff Department)

A skull found recently along the Red River in Lafayette County, Ark., was identified as at least a century-old Native American Indian, according to Lafayette County Sheriff Obie Sims.

The sheriff's office was notified about 10:30 p.m. Dec. 18 by a rancher of a possible human skull found on the bank of the Red River, Sims said.

The rancher found the skull about 7 p.m. while he was moving his cattle away from the rising river. By the time he got back to the farm, it was about 10:30 p.m. The rancher, the sheriff and an Arkansas State Police agent got to the site where the skull was found about 1 a.m. by ATV. "It was cold," Sims said.

The skull was sent to the Arkansas Crime Lab in Little Rock.

"Testing later confirmed that the skull was that of a century-old Native American," Sims said.

"Someone at the crime lab said the skull could be more than 120 years old. The skull was turned over to the crime lab. It will probably be returned to the Indian Nation and end up in a museum," he said.

"It was pretty neat. The shape was different. Instead of a curve, it was slanted. I've heard that they laid their babies face down and it caused flat foreheads most of the time," Sims said.

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