A homeowner said she was shocked but then proud to discover there was a skeleton with a gun buried under the concrete floor of her shed.
The remains were found by workers building a new deck for the home of Rosalie Foster in Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Associated Press reports.
Ms Foster said that her initial shock and disbelief gave way to her thinking: "Wow, I got a body!''
The skeleton is thought to be over 100 years, with the gun being an antique.
Forensics tests were being conducted to confirm the age and gender of the remains.
Ms Foster has been told she can keep the weapon as it was discovered on her property.
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