COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Authorities are investigating after human skeleton remains were discovered on Edisto Island.

Deputies with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a beachfront property in the Jeremy Cay community near Legare Rd. on Friday after tourists exploring the area uncovered what they initially believed to be fossils, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office said the location of where the remains were found is historically significant. They say the area was once home to the 19th-century settlement known as Edingsville Beach.

“Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site,” the sheriff’s office said.

The Colleton County Coroner’s Office is helping in the recovery of the remains which have been taken to the Medical University of South Carolina for forensic analysis and identification.

An investigation is ongoing. The sheriff’s office said the identity of the individual and the circumstances surrounding their death is unknown at this time.