Police have been investigating after bones were found on land off Damson Parkway, Solihull, on 4 November.
Various scientific tests were required to establish exactly how long the remains have been there, which has taken several weeks.
These tests have determined that the bones are between 134 and 208 years old. There is a margin of error of around 25 years, due to how old they are.
They are therefore not linked to any of our current investigations.
There has been speculation that the bones may have been those of David Spencer and Patrick Warren who went missing on Boxing Day 1996.
Officers have updated the boys’ families with this information and our investigation into their disappearance remains open.
Prologis, the company that is developing the land, will now work with faith leaders and the ministry of justice to respectfully resettle the remains.
Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Orencas, from our homicide team, said: “We’ve carried out extensive enquires and the bones have been carefully examined by specialists which have determined that they significantly pre-date the disappearance of the missing boys.
“Given the location of the find, we have kept the families of David and Patrick informed, but we told them we were not linking it with their children. They’ve been updated with this latest development.
“I’d like to thank Prologis for their patience and cooperation over the last six weeks. I do not underestimate the importance of their site or the work they are undertaking there.
“We remain committed finding what happened to David and Patrick -as we do all unsolved cases − and we’ll always follow up any potential fresh leads.
“The bones will now be respectfully resettled.”