Temple University students shocked after human remains, bone fragments discovered at a construction site on campus

Human remains and bone fragments were discovered at a construction site on Temple University’s campus.

“Wow, I can’t even believe it,” said student Jordan Hall.

CBS News Philadelphia spotted caskets that were discovered on Friday at Temple.

It’s definitely interesting,” said student Vincent Hickman.

Temple University says crews uncovered the remains of caskets and some bone fragments as part of a routine site prep work at the construction site on North Broad.

They say this discovery is not unexpected since the construction site occupies a portion of the former Monument Cemetery that was acquired by the university and the Philadelphia Board of Education in the 1950s. During that time, the remains of the cemetery were relocated to Lawnview Memorial Park.

Some Temple students say it’s interesting to see the new discoveries and they have been watching the construction for quite some time.

“They keep on putting up fences, more and more fences every day, my walk gets longer every morning,” said Hickman.

Temple says they have a protocol in place for when human remains are discovered, which includes notifying the Philadelphia Coroner’s office, the Medical Examiner’s Office and archeologists and law enforcement. 

They say crews immediately stopped work and they followed guidance to make sure the remains were handled with the utmost care and respect.

Students say they are still shocked to learn of the new discoveries on campus.

“Really, I would have never think they were doing something like that,” said Hall.

Kerri Corrado

Kerri Corrado joined CBS News Philadelphia Eyewitness News as a reporter in July 2021.