WASHINGTON — Stafford County sheriff’s detectives are investigating the discovery of human remains in a wooded area off Mine Road, near Highpointe Boulevard.

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office says two people practicing bowhunting skills came across the skull and additional bones around 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

The sheriff’s office says it is clear the “remains had been there for a long period of time.”

The state’s Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Richmond will try to determine the identity of the remains and the cause of death.