Aboriginal ancestral remains, identified through coronial inquests, were delivered to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) in paper bags.
TAC's campaign manager, Nala Mansell told the ABC the organisation was "horrified" at the treatment of the remains, calling it a "disregard and disrespect" of First Nations people after the remains were dropped off without prior communication.
"A police officer has rocked up unannounced to the Tasmanian centre with paper bags informing us that: 'Here's the bones of your ancestors. I've been asked to drop them off to you,'" Ms Mansell said.
"We're at a loss as to how, after 220 years, the remains of Aboriginal people in this state continue to be treated with the utmost disrespect in a manner that we understand would not be OK if it was a non-Aboriginal person."
One of the bags contained a bone found in 2022 on Carlton Beach. The other held bones found in 2016 near Low Rocky Point.
Both remains were found to be 1,000 years old and contained a type of DNA called S haplogroup, which is only found in First Nations people from this country.
Ms Mansell told the ABC it was not the first time the remains of Aboriginal ancestors were treated in such a way, having previously received remains from part of the Crowther collection in a chocolate box and a cigar box.
"It's just horrific for all involved. It's horrific for the Aboriginal community who have for hundreds of years had to deal with the remains of Aboriginal people being sent over to international museums."
The remains found at Carlton Beach were initially thought to belong to a person who died 10 years ago, but radiocarbon testing determined the bones dated back to between 772 and 991AD.
In a recently released coroner's report, forensic anthropologist Dr Anne-Marie Williams said the bone was likely a left femur.
The bones found near Low Rocky Point in 2016 were thought to be from between 20 and 100 years ago, but radiocarbon dating confirmed the remains to be from between 772 and 890 AD.
In the wake of the handling of the remains, Ms Mansell said the coroner had no jurisdiction to test the remains.
"The Coroner's Act of 1995 is a law that says if the coroner suspects remain human remains may be Aboriginal, they need to contact the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre so that the Aboriginal community can have some involvement in the process … and ensure that the human remains are dealt with in a respectful manner," Ms Mansell told the ABC.
"Unfortunately, in this instance, we've found out over the weekend through social media posts that some human remains were uncovered in the Carlton Bluff area. No notification was made on behalf of the coroner's office whatsoever with us.
Ms Mansell has called for an inquiry into the handling of Aboriginal ancestral remains, particularly the inclusion of community.
"The Aboriginal community are shut out and we are at the whim of white authorities.
"We are demanding that the attorney-general steps up and has a full inquiry into the process of the coroner dealing with Aboriginal remains."
