Human skull found in Nevada reburied by Indian tribe

RUBY VALLEY -- A century-old human skull believed to be from an American Indian male has been reburied in an Indian tribal cemetery in northeast Nevada.

Te-Moak Tribal Council Chairman Bryan Cassadore told the Elko Daily Free Press it's possible the remains weren't from the region and weren't Western Shoshone.

But he said burial at the Ruby Valley Indian Cemetery would help ensure the remains are treated with respect.

Elko County Sheriff Dale Lotspeich says a forensic analyst in Seattle dated the skull to more than 100 years old, and was 95 percent sure it was American Indian. Investigators haven't determined who left it in late April in a trash bin in Wells.

Officials say it was found with a cauldron, a whip made of hair and some figurines.