Genesee County – Giant Female Jawbone with 20 Teeth
FOUND HUMAN BONES
Workmen excavating a sewer
Found Human Bones
A group of workers were excavating a sewer on Stone Street in Flint last Saturday when they stumbled upon several human skeletons. The remains are believed to be those of Indians buried many years ago. W. R. Hopkins happened to be passing by at the time and was able to secure part of the lower jawbone from one of the skeletons, which he generously donated to The Messenger collection.
Based on its size and development, it is thought that the particular jawbone may have belonged to a female. However, it is also noted that the jawbone of a male could be easily mistaken for one of the famous jawbones used by Sampson to defeat the Philistines. Nonetheless, the jawbone is in excellent condition, with all its teeth perfectly intact, suggesting that the primitive man had little need for dentists.
Upon examination of the specimen, Dr. Hugh Graham of Mt. Morris found that it was unusual in that it contained 20 teeth, while a modern human jawbone typically contains only 16.
The discovery of these ancient remains sheds light on the rich history of the area and the people who once inhabited it.
- Michigan, Genesee County, Clio Messenger, 1915.