INDIANAPOLIS — For months, we have been learning about human remains found at the former Greenlawn Cemetery along the White River downtown.
Two projects are currently underway there, including Keystone Group’s Eleven Park project and the city’s Henry Street Bridge construction.
13News got an inside look at what happens after the remains are found.
It starts inside a lab at Indiana University in Indianapolis. Dr. Jeremy Wilson is contracted by the city of Indianapolis and Keystone Group to analyze the discoveries. The bioarcheologist is a professor and chair of the anthropology department.
“We have a unique opportunity to learn about those lives and those individuals and tell their stories,” Wilson said.
As a bioarcheologist, Wilson is often contacted by developers or other firms to involve him in accidental discoveries or full cemetery excavations, like one he did out at the Indianapolis International Airport in 2018.
For this project, the remains are brought to him.
So far, there has been one accidental discovery near the Henry Street Bridge construction — the fourth metacarpal of an adult’s right hand.
Keystone Group also confirmed crews found fragments of human remains back in December.
Wilson said his team starts by processing the remains, which is as simple as cleaning them. They then inventory them to see what is preserved and what is not.
After that, the team develops a biological profile for each individual.
“In many ways, we are telling or creating a biography from their skeletal remains. Estimating things like their age at death, their sex, any identifying features that related to their life and their occupation,” Wilson said.
Wilson said one of the most challenging aspects of this project is the preservation of the remains, since the area was built upon multiple times.
“If preservation is poor or the remains are highly fragmentary, you can learn less from those than, say, a well-preserved skeleton, where you can take a whole host of observations and measurements,” Wilson said.
After analysis, the team will work with state and city officials for the reburial of the remains.
Wilson also plans to include students in his research.
Mapping out the area
Another key player in helping discover the cemetery's history is the city-county archivist.
Jordan Ryan is tasked with finding records of Greenlawn Cemetery, but said it's been a challenge because currently, there aren't any documents from its caretaker.
“We don’t have that luxury. So, we are having to start from step one, building these narratives and histories from other sources,” Ryan said.
So far, she has found several maps of the area dating back to 1852 and is also using a county archives book from 1938 to help connect the dots.
“There are people whose remains washed down the river. There are people that have been reburied in other cemeteries. There were people who were victims of grave robbing. This is not one journey. It’s multiple journeys, and I think it is a really important story to share,” Ryan said.
Throughout the project, Ryan will help collect and organize these materials to preserve for years to come.
“So, in 100 years, someone else can see all the work we have done,” Ryan said.
Part of this project is also memorializing those who are found. The Community Advisory Group will provide input, along with state and city officials.
Keystone Group issued the following statement to 13News:
“Keystone Group plans to attend the February Community Advisory Group meeting formed to research, memorialize, and provide further recommendation pertaining to the former site of Diamond Chain. We will provide appropriate updates with focus on respect and privacy for the discoveries and remains in conversation with the community to gather input regarding proper memorialization.
Keystone has continued to adhere to all state and local guidelines under the advisement of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Department of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. We will continue to work with experts in their fields like Dr. Jeremy J. Wilson, Chair, Department of Anthropology, at IUPUI, to accurately analyze discoveries and the IDNR/DHPA to determine a respectful final resting place for what may be found.”