A human skeleton was found by a civilian contractor during excavation work in a fairly remote training area at Schofield Barracks last week.

The Army said fencing was erected around the area, about 540 square feet, and all construction work was halted Friday.

On Saturday, James Pokines, a forensic anthropologist with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command at Hickam Air Force Base, confirmed that the remains are human. Investigators are still trying to determine the gender.

Loran Doane, an Army spokesman, said the military does not know how many sets of remains might be buried there or how long they have been in the ground.

The remains were uncovered from a depth of about 4 feet in the northwestern section of the Army post, an area being developed for use in part as a live-fire range, Doane said.

Doane added that the Army does not know whether the remains are those of a native Hawaiian, but the Army has contracted archaeological and cultural monitors to oversee all excavations and has procedures in place if human remains are found.

Doane added that it will be up to forensic experts to determine the age of the remains and whether there is any significance to the burial location.

The matter will be handled by the Army because the discovery was on federal land, said a spokeswoman for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The Army said the excavation was being done by Garcia & Associates to prepare the area for a new training complex on the 17,725-acre Army post.

The Army contacted the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Office and the Oahu Burial Council and said it will continue to work with state and federal agencies to ensure compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

“;Any time there is construction taking place and in which digging occurs, there is always a possibility that one could encounter an unexpected find,”; said Laurie Lucking, cultural resource manager for U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii. “;It is for this reason that we have contin- gency plans and procedures in place so that finds like this can be treated with the utmost dignity and respect.”;