Workers had to down their tools after discovering human remains while working in a city centre.
What was thought to be human remains were discovered in Durham by Northern Powergrid workers on Monday night.
It has now been confirmed that they are human and are historic.
Northern Powergrid had been working in the Market Place on Monday to carry out repairs following a power cut.
They discovered several fragments of bone, including a section of jawbone, while excavating a site close to St Nicholas’ Church.
A spokesman for Durham Police said: “We were informed yesterday evening of the discovery of what appeared to be human remains in the Market Place, Durham.
“Several fragments of bone, including a section of jawbone, were found by power workers excavating a site close to St Nicholas’ Church.
“Excavation was halted while the fragments were removed for forensic examination. Officers are now satisfied that the remains are human, but have also established evidence to indicate they are historic”.
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Archaeologists have been working alongside Northern Powergrid today.
It is not the first time historic human remains have been found near the church in Durham city centre.
In 2008 the remains of two complete skeletons of a man and a young child were discovered by workers on a project to replace gas piping.
Investigations revealed they were probably from a wealthy 18th century city family.
There was no obvious cause of death. It is thought the area where the bones were found, now on the doorstep of a Fair Trade shop, was once probably part of an official burial site, inside the original church boundary.
St Nicholas’ Church is 700 years old but the eastern end, where the bones were found, was demolished in 1841 to improve access to the Market Place.
The building was demolished and replaced by the present church in 1858.
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