An interim forensic archaeological report submitted to the Jaffna Magistrate Court has concluded that the excavation site at Chemmani exhibits characteristics more consistent with formal burial practices than a clandestine mass grave.
The findings were presented on 19 October by lead archaeologist Professor Raj Somadeva of the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology alongside co-author Anusha Wanninayake following ongoing court-supervised excavations in Northern Sri Lanka.
The 17-page summary document details the recovery of a minimum of 574 individuals, 51 separate accumulations of disarticulated human bones, and 170 distinct artefact entries.
Preliminary demographic evaluations within the report estimate that children account for 41 per cent of the total deceased, while infants constitute a further 22 per cent.
Despite assessing the available evidence as insufficient for a final definitive conclusion, the authors specifically emphasized that contextual evidence aligns more closely with formal interment customs observed globally rather than illicit burial sites.
The document suggests that if the high volume of interments stemmed from an epidemic or similar natural catastrophe, an absence of buried personal possessions would be consistent with historical expectations.
However, the submission does not cite or identify any specific historical outbreak or disaster in the Jaffna peninsula to explain the concentration of human remains.
Special attention was also directed toward two specific skeletons, designated as numbers 227 and 429, which were uncovered resting in an upright seated position.
The authors noted that seated postures are documented within specific Hindu religious traditions associated with Samadhi practices, though they clarified that physical posture alone cannot conclusively confirm a spiritual burial.
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