Human remains found at construction site in Kma

August 4, 2021 50 Views No Comment

Experts suspect these to be of Japanese soldiers from WW-II

Correspondent KOHIMA, AUG 4 (NPN) : Human remains were discovered by some construction workers at a site of a Church here recently. A team of researchers led by Nagaland University’s archaeology professor Dr Tiatoshi Jamir went and salvaged the human remains, which have now been kept at art and culture department’s research storeroom awaiting further analysis.

Speaking to Nagaland Post, Tiatoshi disclosed that the recently-collected human remains had been left to dry and would be sent for tests along with more samples collected from other archaeological sites. He said the remains included a fragment of maxilla (upper jaw), the orbit (eye socket) and femur (thigh bone).

Along with the human remains, a lighter bearing a swastika insignia and fragments of artillery shells were found next to the bones. “By the time we reached the construction site to collect the materials, the area was already disturbed by the construction workers. All the human remains along with the relics were removed and therefore we were unable to get a good contextual evidence of the burial,” he said.

“We are collaborating with some institutions that do human DNA testing. Such tests on these materials, especially genetic studies and finding the real identity of the remains, may take some time though,” he added.

However, a bio-archaeologist is expected to conduct some tests soon and thereafter furnish a report on the condition, gender and stress marks (if any) on the bones.

Tiatoshi said art and culture secretary had initially informed the group of researchers to collect the human remains from the construction site and see if there was any potential to conduct further tests.

Although a thorough analysis was yet to be conducted, he suspected the human remains to be from the World War II era.

He said if the human remains were identified and proved to be of Japanese soldiers from WW II, these could be sent to officials at the Japanese embassy in New Delhi as they often visited Nagaland to check whether any remains of their soldiers were discovered in the State.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/human-remains-found-at-construction-site-in-kma/237635.html