The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) said that samples from the Mannar mass gravesite would be sent to a laboratory in Florida, USA for testing to determine the approximate time periods in which the deaths occurred.
The OMP issuing a special statement yesterday said six bone samples obtained at the mass grave located at the Sathosa Building in Mannar town were selected last week to be sent abroad for radio carbon dating.
The statement, quoting Consultant Judicial Medical Officer of Mannar District General Hospital Dr. Rajapaksha, said 278 skeletons have been unearthed so far from the excavations which commenced on May 28.
“After 118 working days, we have unearthed 278 skeletons, which include remains of men, women and children. There are some damages to the bones, but it is only upon further investigation that we can determine if these are ante mortem or post mortem injuries, and whether it relates to the cause of death. Our task has been to gather evidence to determine the cause of death, time since death, the contributing circumstances and the specific identity of the individuals in this site and also determine if all the skeletons are from the same historical period or different periods, while ensuring the integrity of the site and chain of custody of remains and other evidence,” Dr Rajapaksha was quoted in the statement.
Dr.Rajapaksha heads the investigation team and is assisted by Prof. Raj Somadeva, who leads the archaeological team.
“Radio carbon dating calculates the amount of Carbon-14 in bone and teeth samples and establishes the approximate time when an animal or plant was alive. It is a form of testing used in archaeology and forensic science for dating human remains. The samples from the Mannar mass gravesite will be sent to a laboratory abroad, which specializes in bomb pulse carbon 14 technique. In cases where the skeletons belonged to persons that died after World War II, bomb pulse carbon 14 dating can provide a narrower range of time periods in which the deaths occurred,” the statement added.
The selection of samples for radio carbon dating took place from December 18-10 under the auspices of the Mannar Magistrate T. Saravanaraja, while the OMP Commissioners Mirak Raheem and K.Venthan observed the process.
Lawyers representing families of the disappeared and a member from the Citizens’ Committee were also present as observers.
The team carrying out the sample selection included representatives from the Consultant Judicial Medical Officers, the Post Graduate Institute of Archaeology from the University of Kelaniya, the Police (Scene of Crime Officers – SOCO and crime investigation branch), and the Government Analysts Department.
“Six samples were selected to represent the different areas and vertical layers of the site. The samples were extracted, cleaned, dried, sealed and labelled over the course of three days.
Following the samples being tested at a laboratory and the results being submitted, a preliminary combined excavation report including the test results and other findings will be submitted by the investigation team to the Magistrate’s Court,” the statement added.
The statement also said that the OMP would provide financial assistance to carry out carbon dating as part of its continued support to the investigation.
The statement quoting OMP Chairman Saliya Pieris, stated that the OMP since July has been supporting the costs of food and lodgings of the excavation team and provided additional funds for covers to protect the grave site from the monsoon rain.