Human bones were found protruding from the side of an eroding cliff on Prince Edward Island in Canada late last month.

But it wasn’t a crime scene. The remains, discovered by a resident who was out for a walk along the province’s western coast, were most likely from a shipwreck that occurred roughly 150 years ago.

It is also possible that the bones had been previously found and reburied, said Scott Ferris, a spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Prince Edward Island. Hurricane Fiona, he added, caused erosion and damage to the island in 2022, raising the possibility that more such remains could be found.

The authorities came to the conclusion that the bones were most likely from a shipwreck largely by speaking with locals familiar with the island’s history and by reviewing historical accounts, said Cpl. Gavin Moore, another spokesman for the R.C.M.P. in Prince Edward Island.

While an investigation is ongoing, Corporal Moore said it was unlikely that the bones were connected to any recent events.

But if local experts agree that a shipwreck is the most likely scenario, it raises a question: Which one?