Burial Ground : Native Americans protest removal of prehistoric remains to make way for development.

Burning sage and wearing black armbands, a group of Native Americans gathered outside a gated community on Sunday to honor ancient people who lived here as long as 9,500 years ago and whose bones were uncovered by development.

The All Souls’ Day ceremony was part protest, part memorial service as about 70 Indians and supporters expressed outrage that 600 or more prehistoric burials were moved in 1995 and 1996 to make way for an Irvine Co. project to build 149 luxury homes on a Newport Bay bluff top.

“Hopefully, the message will get to the Irvine Co. that they’ll never do anything like this again,” said Lillian Robles, an elder with the Juaneno band of Mission Indians, as she and her colleagues prayed in a circle across the street from the gates of the new Harbor Cove community.

The Native Americans also traveled to three other archeological sites Sunday: the Bolsa Chica mesa near Huntington Beach, Hellman Ranch in Seal Beach and a site in Long Beach.

But it was the Irvine Co. project on Jamboree Road that drew the largest crowd and the most emotional outpouring from Native Americans, who say they learned only recently that hundreds of burials and thousands of artifacts were unearthed there and reburied during a major excavation to make way for homes selling for $600,000 and more.

The human remains and artifacts were unearthed quietly during the 16-month excavation at a cost of more than $2 million. The work proceeded even though some scientists had lobbied to save part or all of the site, considered one of the oldest and most important on the California coast.

Scientists believe the site, known as ORA-64, dates from 4,000 to 9,500 years ago, at the close of the Ice Age.

The location was so named because it was the 64th site in Orange County on a national list of archeological finds.

Officials of the Irvine Co. said that state-appointed Native Americans were involved in the ORA-64 project and that government approvals were sought and received in public forums.

“It’s involved public entities all along the line,” Larry Thomas, Irvine Co.’s senior vice president for communications, said Sunday.

Marchers carried picket signs reading, “Stop corporate grave robbing,” “Where’s your conscience?” and “800 graves plundered so you can live, work and play here.”

Among them was was Laurel Breece of Balboa Island, an archeologist who said she would have liked to see ORA-64 preserved as much as possible. “We all lost at ’64.’ All of us are responsible,” she said. “Cultural resources belong to all of us.”

While the Native Americans did not enter the gates of Harbor Cove, one resident came out to meet them. Frances Mead-Messinger said she did not know about the burials when she bought her home earlier this year. Her great-grandmother was a Choctaw from Oklahoma, she said.

She offered her yard to the Native Americans to hold a ceremony in coming months. “I think we need to work together to make the Indians feel as comfortable as possible,” Mead-Messinger said.

Her invitation was praised by some Native Americans. “I think it took a lot of courage,” said one marcher, Connie Lester of La Habra, who is part Cherokee. “She’s got blood, and she understands how we feel.”

Irvine Co.’s Thomas said Sunday evening that Standard Pacific, which built the homes, notified buyers about the archeological site. Moreover, the entire area where homes have been and will be built has been excavated, with no remains left on the developed portions, he said.

More details about ORA-64 are expected when Irvine Co. archeologist Michael Macko addresses the Pacific Coast Archeological Society Thursday. The public session will be at 7:30 p.m. at Western Digital Corp., 8105 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine.