33  There were at least 117 anatomically articulated human skeletons. This means that the persons found at site 1 died there or their bodies were deposited there when they still retained their soft tissue. In addition, 24 concentrations of bones were found, which by their degree of destruction, carbonization or calcification could not be retrieved as individual skeletons. It is possible that the laboratory study will produce new individual skeletons that would increase these figures. All the bullets and casing fragments were found inside the building. More than 250 projectile fragments were retrieved, 90% of them from within the skeletons and clothing of the individuals. The placement of the bodies and the associated evidence point to a single event that occurred at a specific point in time. The bone remains were in a very poor state of conservation, and many were incomplete. This reflects various factors, including the high number of children, the quantity of bullet fragments that impacted the bodies and clothing of the victims, the effect of fire, the collapse of the roof and walls of the building onto the bodies, and the degree of soil acidity. About 85% of the remains recovered were of children under the age of 12 years. The statement is based on the size of the bones, “the fact that their primary and/or secondary centers of ossification had not fused”, the abundant “simultaneous presence of both primary or deciduous and permanent teeth” and the size of the clothing found. The immaturity of the skeletons contributed to faster-than-usual deterioration of the remains. The evidence shows that, subsequent to the shooting, one or more explosive or incendiary devices were thrown into the building. “All these facts tend to indicate the perpetration of a massive crime, there being no 184 evidence to support the theory of a confrontation between two groups.”       177. On the basis of these conclusions, scientific recommendations and suggestions were made to the Second Court and to the Truth Commission. Among other things, it was recommended that interviews be conducted with presumed relatives of the victims in order to assemble pre-mortem facts or physical data, that they should be identified genetically, for which purpose the services of the genetic laboratory of the University of California at Berkeley were offered free, and that the remains should be 185 delivered to the families and not re-buried for at least a year. 178. The report on the forensic examination of the skeletons and artifacts retrieved included the following conclusions: o The physical evidence from the exhumation of the convent house at El Mozote confirms the allegations of a mass murder. The skeletal remains of 143 bodies were identified, including 136 children and adolescents and 7 adults. The average age of the children was approximately 6 years. There were six women, ages 21 to 40 years, and a man of around 50 years. The number of deaths may be greater. The uncertainty results from extensive perimortem skeletal injuries, postmortem skeletal damage and associated commingling. The skeletons show indications of severe trauma resulting from the high speed of the bullets and postmortem damage resulting from crushing and from fire or heat. The specific cause of death could not be determined in all cases because of the absence of soft tissue, the damage to the skeletons, and the long time that has elapsed since death. There is no way to determine whether some of the victims were alive at the time of the fire. o o o o 184 Ibid. 185 Ibid.