Skull found in dunes had had autopsy - pathologist

A skull found on a Northland beach had already been the subject of an autopsy before two Australian tourists found it last Tuesday.

However, how the cranium ended up propped up on a dune looking out to sea near Glinks Gully, southwest of Dargaville, remained a mystery,

Pathologist Mike Arnall, who carried out the latest autopsy, said in a police report the skull's first examination could have been carried out by a doctor or medical students.

He was unable to release details about the age of the skull, or what ethnicity its former owner was, the Dargaville News reported.

"We would like to find its resting place, so we have sent photographs to an anthropologist in an effort to do this," Dr Arnall said.

Last week, campground operator Geoff Nicols said he watched over the skull after its discoverers ran to call police.

It had hair and gristle still attached to it, a gold tooth and seemed to have fillings, he said.

He said the tourists found skull sitting in sand dunes about two metres above the beach "looking out to sea - just like it had been placed there".

Last week, Northland police Inspector Paul Dimery said police found no other body parts at the scene and were not pursuing a homicide inquiry.

However, it was not unusual for human remains to be found in Northland, he said.

Some were pre-European, though a pathologist could date the macabre finds.

- NZPA