Bones found during excavations to expand the Grand Mosque in Makkah have may be those of an animal and not from an ancient cemetery, as some have thought, a source from the General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques has said.

The bones unearthed during excavations to expand the Grand Mosque is not from an ancient cemetery and may be those of an animal, a source from the General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques said Wednesday.

There has been much debate on social media about the bones since construction workers discovered them earlier this week at Mount Safa. Tests are now under way on the remains.

The source said that no cemeteries have been discovered during the expansion of the Grand Mosque, but that the organization is following up the matter with other government agencies.

According to reports, photographs published on social networking sites show security officers digging a hole around the site to check whether there are other remains.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has also been involved in securing the site. The SCTA is currently working on the King Abdullah Project for the Protection of Heritage in the Kingdom.

The project includes more than 71 sites that cover architecture, museums, and traditional arts and crafts. The SCTA said that all its work complies with Islamic law.

It said that the government is doing a great deal to protect and develop projects showing the rich history of Islam, which includes the Qur’an printing complex.

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