Age Estimation of Skeletal Remains of 100 Barzanian Mass Graves at Busaya Afif-2 Desert in Muthnna, Iraq

Background and objective: The identification of victims and an anthropological examination of mass graves are essential steps toward the documenting of scientific findings and the pursuit of justice. Exhumation, anthropological analysis, and individual victim identification were the primary objectives of this research project, which was conducted in a mass grave in Busaya which is located in the Muthanna governorate.Methods: The inquiry involved the uncovering of the bodies of the victims as well as the excavation of their graves. After interviewing witnesses and collecting their testimony, researchers finally got out into the field to begin their investigation. After locating the locations, excavations were carried out on them using the protocols that are well accepted in the scientific community. In the laboratory of the medico-legal institution in Erbil, the leftover skeletons were examined in order to establish the gender of the individual, as well as their age and other details.Results: The grave included 100 bodies, 100 (100%) were males. The results of age estimation reported that the number of young adult bodies 20-30 years old were 40 cases (40%), while 17 cases (17%) was 30-40 aged victims, 10 (10%) was for 40-50 and 50-60 years ages. The rest included 2 (2%) for 15-20 years, and 1(1%) for 60-70 years age group of victims.The results of stature revealed that all cases had stature more than 166-170 cm. All the remained bones were recorded in detail for more documentation.Conclusion: These findings presented the results of an anthropological investigation into a vast Barzanian cemetery located in the Muthanna Afif-2 desert in the southern area of Iraq. Males at the age between 20-30 made up the vast majority (if not all) of those who lost their lives.