Two nearly intact skeletons found near the Plains of Abraham date back to the 19th century or even earlier, archeologists say.
The skeletons were discovered by construction workers in February while breaking ground for new washroom facilities for the historic site, which sits outside Quebec City.
Vanessa Oliver-Lloyd, a bioarcheologist, told CTV's Canada AM that there are no records to indicate who the skeletons might be.
"Because there were two people there, we think it might be a family cemetery or private plot," she said.
She said the discovery was surprising because there were no records of a cemetery or private plots for the area.
The bodies were buried before 1900, because a drain was placed underground in 1900 and the coffins were below the drain, according to Oliver-Lloyd.
There are a number of artifacts at the site for archeologists to help pinpoint the age of the skeletons.
One skeleton had shoe buckles on its feet and the other had some buttons with it. Also, the nails used in the coffins can be studied to determine their date.
Archeologists believe that one skeleton is a teenaged boy and the other, an adult woman.
The skeletons are not believed to be from soldiers from the historic battle on the Plains of Abraham.
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham began on Sept. 13, 1759. The battle was fought between the British and French armies and proved to be a deciding point in the direction of Canada, with British forces proving victorious.
