‘Deep and unusual’ cuts found on Mannar mass grave skeletons

Human skeletons found at a mass grave in Mannar have “deep and unusual” lacerations on their bones, an archaeologist at the site told Journalists for Democracy Sri Lanka.

“Up to date we have unearthed 58 individual human skeletons here,” said archaeologist Raj Somadeva. “There are so many bones scattered all over the excavation pit.”

“5 skeletons belong to children,” he added

He went on to describe cuts on the bones as “unusual”.

“Myself working together with the JMOs in this pit collectively observed that there are some traumatic conditions – cut marks – visible on some bones,” he said. “We are not in a position to confirm the real happening  that occurred in this pit, but we are waiting to get the analysis results to determine whether these cut marks are a result of post-mortem disturbances or anti-mortem disturbances.”

The discovery is the latest mass grave to be found in the North-East, which the Sri Lankan military continues to occupy.

 

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