4,270-year-old human skull found along Indiana river

A portion of a human skull dating back more than 4,000 years was found along a river in Indiana, the local coroner's office announced on Monday.

A portion of a human skull dating back more than 4,000 years was found along a river in Indiana, the local coroner's office announced on Monday.

Officials used radiocarbon dating to determine that the piece of skull, found on the bank of the Whitewater River, is about 4,270 years old, which means it dates to about 2300 B.C., the Fayette County Coroner's Office said.

The ancient skull was first found in June and was reported to the Fayette County Sheriff's Department, officials said. NBC News affiliate WTHR in Indianapolis reported that a local landowner saw the remains on June 2 and turned them over to the sheriff's office.

"This discovery underscores the importance of our community's vigilance and the necessity of professional collaboration. I want to commend the landowner for their responsible action in immediately reporting the finding," Coroner Eddie Richardson said in the Facebook post about the discovery.

The Fayette County Coroner's Office said a 4,270-year-old human skull was found June 2 on the bank of the Whitewater River in Indiana.Fayette County Coroner's OfficeThe coroner's office said that Dr. Krista Latham at the University of Indianapolis Human Identification Center and "rigorous testing" by the University of Georgia enabled officials to "accurately determine the antiquity of this discovery."